Road to Victory: Unova Arc- Starting Out on a Quest!
by Sweetie147
Summary: Scarlett is an aspiring Trainer longing to go on a journey with her best friends, just like her parents and their friends did years ago. For some reason, her mom refuses to let her follow her dream. Maybe it has something to do with Scarlett's odd talent, and the rumours of a powerful group lurking in the shadows. Will she ever get to step out of her dad's shadow? [Next Generation]
1. Prologue the First

**AN: Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't written anything in a long time. I'm a horrible person. But during that time, I've been reading a lot of other people's works and watching the Pokémon anime as well, and I've gotten loads of great ideas!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or any canon characters. I only own the idea of this story, and any OCs.**

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><p>Nothing. There was nothing at all in the vast region between worlds, until the very fabric of the dimension bended and burst apart. A regal shape appeared in the haze, tall and elegant with golden spines arching upward and around the creature's lithe and white body. Its eyes sparkled with knowledge from ages untold. Clearly, it was an ancient being.<p>

The creature finally fully emerged into the void, and gazed around. _Nothing much has changed. It is just as I remembered._ The creature lost its rigid stance, and relaxed. _ Finally I am home once more. And now, it is time once again for the summoning._

The vast creature summoned a large sphere of roiling energy, and sent it crashing through the tear in the fabric of reality itself had created earlier. _Come forth, my three children. Time, Space and Antimatter, I summon you to my side!_

There was a faint rumbling as the summoning took effect. The dimension began rippling with pure energy waves. They bounced back and forth, and sometimes off of each other. The surface of the fabric rippled, and matter began to form a whirlpool on the surface, constantly churning.

From the depths of the shadows, three beings of immense power emerged. You must already know their names. Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. The Creation Trio.

_Why have you summoned me here, father? The Distortion World is changing. There are clouds of toxic smoke everywhere! I must go back to maintain order and balance and to make sure nothing else goes wrong! _Giratina was clearly very angered by this summoning out of seemingly nowhere. _Those clouds haven't appeared in 17 years! There must be something huge going on in the Real World._

_And my territory is off as well. It keeps bumping into Purple's over there._ Dialga's head swiveled over to Palkia's and gave it a hard stare.

_What did I do, Blue? I think that my territory is being invaded by yours! _Palkia roared in defiance and rammed its shoulder as hard as it could into Dialga's chest.

_Because of the disturbance in your territories, my world is being disrupted. I blame the both of you!_ Giratina aimed its Shadow Force at the Spatial and Temporal Pokémon. Once the powerful attack hit, Palkia and Dialga charged at Giratina, and the Creation Trio began a catfight.

Arceus was not amused by the Trio's childish antics, and prepared to use its most powerful attack as an Ice type move, which would cause severe damage to the Dragon Types to make a point. A single comet-like stone raced upwards, and split into many different stones coated in pale blue fire. Judgement rained from high above and pelted the Trio's backs hard. They all writhed in pain from the super powerful attack and immediately ceased the fight, but still glared at each other.

_Father, what was that for? _Palkia whined much like a toddler who wanted something but couldn't get it._ Dialga deserved it._

_You deserved it more! _Dialga screeched, and prepared to use Roar of Time.

_Fools! Cease this fighting at once. You know better than to blame one another on something that is neither of your faults. _Arceus' tone was very disapproving of its children's actions.

_Yes, Father. _Giratina was the first to calm down._ Now what is it that you summoned us for?_

_As I was going to say before you all started bickering, the Earth is changing again._ Arceus flew from left to right of his children who were lined up in front of him. It was very agitated. _There is a human who wants to rule the world._

_Why am I not surprised? _Dialga muttered bitterly. _How many times has this happened before? Now that you've gotten to the point, can we leave now?_

_No! _Arceus roared. The dimension rippled with the Alpha Pokémon's emotions. The Creation Trio all cringed. They knew what their Father could do to them in a heartbeat. _You cannot leave yet. I am not finished. This human is quite insane with visions of power. He wants to become a god. To do that, he needs the powers of a few select humans known as Aura Users._

_But aren't humans like those rare nowadays? _asked the Creation Trio together.

_They are, _Arceus agreed. _But they still exist, and that means horrible things to come for human beings and Pokémon alike. _

_Can we not do anything to stop him? _Dialga wanted very much to help the beings on Earth, as did Palkia and Giratina.

_There is hope still. _Arceus stopped pacing, and looked each of his children in the eye. _There is one human that can use the Aura. She alone has the power to stop him. But I do not know whether or not she can live up to her destiny and family name. This girl could do great things. Now only fate can choose to grant it to her or not._

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><p><strong>AN: So that's the prologue. What do you think? Tell me in the reviews if there could be improvement or if you think it's generally awesome all around. <strong>**Everyone who does gets a virtual (::)**

**Why is it so short? This is the _first_ prologue. Yes, there will be two of them. It's not unheard of, just a bit unusual. But I like unusual and unique, so bring it on!**

**_Notes/Questions to Consider:_  
><em>1. Who is this mysterious man who wants to have powers like Arceus?<em>  
><em>2. What could an Aura User give to a man like him? What powers do they have that can assist the man on his quest for power?<em>**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	2. Prologue the Second

**AN: Hello again, everyone! Sadly, only one person reviewed. But I hope more will come as I continue posting more chapters!**

**Here it is! The second prologue!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokémon franchise, only the idea for the story and my own OCs.**

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><p>"Mom? What if I don't make any friends? What if everyone makes fun of me?" Six year old Scarlett asked her mother tentatively. It was her first day of school, and the normally outgoing and full of energy girl was very nervous.<p>

"Now Scarlett," her mom knelt on the ground beside her to even out their height differences. Scarlett gazed at her mom with wide emerald green eyes. Here eye shape was exactly the same as her mom's; round and wide, but anyone who met their family all were very confused at how she got her eye colour. No one in her family for many generations had eyes like hers. "You know that's not going to happen. You're a very adventurous girl, and you'll get to know everyone soon enough. No need to worry, right?"

Scarlett though about this for a while, tilting her head this way and that before coming to a conclusion. "Right!" She grinned brightly at her mother, and bounded up the steps to school. "Bye Mom!" She waved cheerfully before pushing open the old and heavy wood door to the school.

"Bye sweetheart! Remember to have fun!" Her mother's words are lost on the wind as the heavy door swings shut with a thump. "Let's go, Delphox."

"Del! Delphox!" Scarlett's mother's Delphox agreed. As they headed away from the school grounds, the spring breeze picked up, and Scarlett's mom had to hold onto her hat to prevent it from flying away. _Good luck, sweetheart.  
><em>  
><strong>*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*<br>**  
>Meanwhile inside the school building, Scarlett was wandering the halls with no idea where the classroom was. It was deathly quiet except for the light clicks of her shiny black Mary Janes on the stone floor. Feeling lonely, she reached for a Poké Ball in her small shoulder bag. "Lillipup, please come out and help."<p>

Scarlett's Lillipup appeared in a flash of red light. It barked and wagged its tiny tail, its thick shiny fur flying about in all directions. Scarlett giggled and asked Lillipup, "Could you help me find the classroom I'm supposed to be in? It's Classroom 1A." Lillipup gave a nod, and stuck its nose close to the ground and started to sniff deeply. Lillipup was a great tracker. One of its strongest moves outside of battle was Extrasensory. Scarlett became so engrossed at following Lillipup's footsteps that she didn't notice where she was going and accidentally bumped into someone rather roughly.

"I'm sorry!" Scarlett gasped, and quickly backed up. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

The boy she had bumped into glared at her with his flaming orange eyes. "You're new here, aren't you? Well, I'll let you off with a warning this time. Next time, stay out of my way!" The boy then strutted off, continuing in the same direction as before.

Scarlett turned to Lillipup and stuck out her tongue in disgust. "What's his problem?" Lillipup growled and shook its fur in agitation at the boy's attitude, and then continued with the sniffing search. Scarlett followed it closely, encouraging it when it paused. Soon enough, it stopped in front of a door, and wagged its tail to let Scarlett know that this was the correct classroom.

"Hurray, Lillipup! You're so great at finding things!" Scarlett jumped up and down in jubilation before bending down to hug Lillipup tightly. Lillipup barked, and licked Scarlett's face, please to have completed its task so well. "That tickles! Hey, stop it!" Scarlett fell onto the floor, laughing at Lillipup's actions. "Okay, you can return now." Lillipup disappeared back inside its Poké Ball.

Scarlett stood up again and took a deep breath, preparing to expect the worst. "Here goes…" She reached for the doorknob, and eased the door open. Bright yellow light spilled into the dim hallway, and Scarlett squinted so she could see inside.

"… and carefully move your brush in the direction of the Pokémon's fur, like this. No, Cole! Not like that! You'll hurt Pidove!" There was a loud chirp and a rustling of wings as the Pidove took flight through the classroom, bumping into everything in a panic. Scarlett pushed the door wide open and knocked on the door.

"Cole! What did I tell you last class? You have to be gentle!" the teacher scolded the boy named Cole, who didn't look very sorry at all. He pouted, and pretended to nod and to try better next time.

"Um, Miss Ophelia? Someone's at the door," another boy observed. He had been sitting quietly at his desk, attentively listening to the teacher and following instructions, but was now on his feet, avoiding the blundering Pidove.

The teacher turned around, flustered. "Oh! Hello there! Are you the new student the principal told me about?"

"Yes ma'am," Scarlett bobbed her head politely. "My name is Scarlett. I think this is my homeroom?"

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry for you to see the class like this, but Cole here-" she pointed behind her. Cole skimmed his eyes over Scarlett, and scowling, turned away. "-was messing around again."

"I can help calm the Pidove down, if you want. I'm very good with Pokémon." Scarlett nodded in the general direction of the Pidove, who was still flapping about. The children in the classroom ducked whenever it flapped by their heads. Scarlett bravely made her way over and the other students all gasped, worried for their new classmate's safety.

"She's crazy," Cole glared at the girl. "What does she think she's doing?"

"Scarlett's going to hurt herself!" the boy who saw her standing at the door frowned.

Scarlett ignored them all, and held her hand out to the Pidove. "Pidove, I know you're hurt. I know you're scared, but you have to calm down." She the closed her eyes, and whispered, "Please trust me, Pidove. I swear I won't hurt you."

The entire class held their breath, waiting for Pidove to peck Scarlett's eyes out. Instead, to everyone's surprise, the Pidove cooed softly and landed on Scarlett's outstretched hand. It rubbed its head affectionately against Scarlett's hand, and Scarlett made soothing noises and gently petted its head. "There, there. It's all right now. You'll be fine."

Everyone in the classroom was amazed at Scarlett's ability. "Whoa, how did she do it?" was all around the classroom. The only one who wasn't amazed was Cole.

"Freak," he muttered, and shoved his hands into his pockets nonchalantly, as if he hadn't said anything of the sort.

Scarlett whirled on him, and shouted, "I heard that! This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you! You're the one who hurt Pidove and got us into this mess."

The Pidove angrily chirped at Cole, flapping its wings, "Pidove! Dove!"

"She's right!" the boy who noticed Scarlett earlier stood up. "Cole, you're only jealous."

"Shut up, Milo. Stay out of this." Cole glared at Milo, and Milo reluctantly sat back down.

Scarlett opened her mouth to insult him, but was cut off by Miss Ophelia. Miss Ophelia was not amused at all by Cole's behaviour. "Cole, I'm sending you to the principal's office. Calling names to a girl you don't know is not nice at all."

Cole huffed in annoyance, and walked out of the classroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

Milo looked apologetically at Scarlett and patted the desk next to him. "Don't worry about Cole; he's always in a bad mood. Come sit beside me."

Scarlett thought for a second, and sat right down as if she was an old-timer. "Thanks! Pleased to meet you, Milo." The pair shook hands, and the Pidove rested on Scarlett's desk contently as she continued to pet its feathers.

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><p>Soon, class was over, and it was time for recess. Scarlett rushed outside with the others, and made a beeline for the swing set as it was her favourite thing to play with on a playground. The swing made a squeaking sound, propelled by the wind. "Lillipup, you should enjoy this, too!"<p>

Scarlett released Lillipup from its Poké Ball and picked the Puppy Pokémon up from the ground. She settled in on the swing's seat, and began to swing herself back and forth with Lillipup resting in her lap. "This is so much fun!" Scarlett shouted as she got higher and higher in the sky. Lillipup barked in agreement.

However, not everyone's recess was enjoyable. Cole was sulking in a corner with his friend. "That girl on the swing set got me in trouble today," he complained. "I was brushing a Pidove's feathers too hard. So what? It's not like I'm going to get one of those weak Pokémon someday. Now I have detention for a whole week."

Cole's friend narrowed his eyes at the laughing Scarlett. "That's the girl who bumped into me. She got you, too?"

"Yeah," Cole scratched his head. "She somehow managed to calm that Pidove down only by talking to it."

"Hmm," Cole's friend tapped his chin. "No one annoys us and gets away with it."

Cole's friend stalked up to the swing set and grabbed the chain with his hand. Scarlett shrieked in surprise as the swing came to a jerking halt. "Hey! What are you-" she stopped, realizing it was the boy she accidentally bumped into. "What do you want?" she snapped. Lillipup barked sharply, following its owner's actions.

"You're the girl who got Cole into trouble and bumped into me earlier. You're going to pay for both. No one messes with me and gets away with it."

"Well at least I'm not a tattletale like him." Scarlett glared at Cole who was hesitantly following his friend. "It's his fault he got into trouble. He purposely provoked the Pidove and hurt its feathers."

"Who cares about a stupid Pidove?" he sneered dispassionately. That really ticked Scarlett off, who couldn't stand others who treat Pokémon as nothing more than tools.

"I do, that's who! Pokémon are our friends, and we have to treat them like our equals!"

"Yeah, right," Cole snorted and stood beside his friend. "You're a freak."

"I'm not!" Scarlett leapt off of the swing, with Lillipup right behind her. She almost jumped on Cole in anger, but was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist, stopping her from rushing forward. She whirled around, ready to strike who stopped her, but it was only Milo.

"They're not worth it, Scarlett." Milo frowned at the two boys. "Just ignore them. Matthew and Cole are both huge pains in the neck."

"Mind your own business, Milo," Matthew sneered and shoved Milo. Milo staggered backwards, and stumbled and fell into the gravel. He winced, and shakily stood up.

"I'm not going to let you shove pretty girls around." Milo clenched his fists, obviously angry at the way Matthew treated Scarlett and himself. Scarlett blushed when she realized that Milo had called her pretty.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Milo," Scarlett whispered.

"Um…You're welcome, I guess?" Milo managed to stutter with a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Matthew and Cole, why don't you Weedle off and leave her alone?"

"Why should we? Freaks get what freaks deserve." Matthew said coldly, with Cole nodding in agreement.

Scarlett hated every second of this pointless fight, and so she screamed, "Matthew, shut up now! You're just a big bully like Cole over there. Why are you so nasty?"

"You'd never understand! You're just a freak."

Scarlett was now extremely ticked off, and so she had to throw out her last card, no matter how cowardly it was. "If you don't stop, my dad will defeat you in a Pokémon battle."

"Oh, is that so?" Matthew said mockingly. "And just who is your dad?"

That was a question Scarlett was not allowed to answer. "My mom told me I couldn't allow that to be revealed. He is a Champion of the Kanto Region."

"You're a freak and a liar. How pathetic." He smirked knowing it would get on her nerves even more. It certainly worked.

Scarlett just about blew up, stomping right up to Matthew. "I am not pathetic!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, which drew the attention of all the other kids outside. "My father is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

And of course no one remotely believed her, not even Milo. Miss Ophelia rushed outside, disturbed by the racket, demanding to know what the commotion was all about. And when Scarlett explained, she shook her head at Matthew and Cole. "Boys, how many times do I have to tell you? No teasing at school. And besides, Scarlett is telling the truth. Her father is indeed Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."

Matthew harrumphed and walked away with Cole, throwing one last glare at Scarlett over his shoulder. "Scarlett Ketchum, I will never let you forget today. Ever."

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><p><strong>AN: How was that for a cliff-hanger? :P Sorry for that, and it was a little unexpected, wasn't it?<strong>

**xXJaySongXx- Sadly, I can't really do any of your suggestions as I already have a quarter of the story planned out. As you can tell from this chapter, Milo has already been introduced, and will become one of Scarlett's BFFLs. I have not introduced the other girl (Teresa) yet, that will come in the next chapter, and that's a surprise!**  
><strong>As for the guy who wants to become a god, he's not even really in this arc. A few of his second-in-commands will be, but the guy himself won't truly appear until the Sinnoh Arc. You will hear mention of the guy a few times in Unova, but he will not be properly introduced. He'll just be in the background as a looming cloud of destruction.<br>**

**_Notes/Questions to Consider:_  
><em>1. Who is the woman with a Delphox? Is she an OC or is she someone we know?<em>  
><em>2. Why did Scarlett help the Pidove? Is she in anyway similar to her father?<em>**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	3. A Midsummer Day's Heat Wave

**AN: Hello fanfictioners! I'm back on the Road to Victory! Don't expect fast updates like this one, though. In fact, I had this chapter complete before I finished either of my prologues.**

Update: For those of you reading this later on, I have actually changed the POV of this chapter entirely. It is now in third person, past tense. It used to be in first person, present tense. Writing in the third person allowed me to add a bit more detail and intricateness into the story.

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Pokémon, except for this story idea and my OCs.**

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><p>It was a cheerful morning in the small town known as Nuvema. The sun was peeking over the rooftops of homes, bathing everything in a golden glow. Even though it was only about eight thirty in the morning, it was already warm with the feel of summertime. The Pidove were whistling quietly in the safety of the sparse shade the few trees provide, preparing for the sudden heat of midday. However, not all was peaceful.<p>

A heated argument was happening between a passionate girl and her frustrated mother. The neighbourhood had heard the two arguing since the girl had turned ten, which was the age at which children could go out and start their Pokémon journey. Most now turned a blind ear and eye to the pair, but still others were terribly annoyed with the whole matter. No one but the girl's parents knew the reason for not letting the girl go on her journey. No doubt it was a good one, because most parents would have relented already through the whining and tears and screams.

However, the odd thing was that her father doesn't mind his daughter running around Unova with her friends, trying to be the very best. Her mother was a different story altogether. She was absolutely resolute about not letting her daughter go on a journey, which had led to a rather rocky mother-daughter relationship after the girl's tenth birthday.

"Why can't I, Mom? I'm 13, and when you refused to let me go at age 10, you promised me I could go later on. I think I'm ready now!" The girl protested rather loudly.

This girl's name was Scarlett, and in Nuvema Town, she was known by all for her witty comments, stubbornness and temper, just like her hair suggested. She wasn't born with it, and had shocked everyone when she had turned four years old, when her dark auburn hair started to change into a flaming ginger. Also, she absolutely hated it when things didn't go her way.

"I still don't think you're ready. I couldn't trust you to go alone." Her mom crossed her arms over her chest, and bit her lip.

Scarlett's face creased into a frown. She didn't think that there was a reason to not let her go. She's been ready for this her entire life. As the daughter of Ash Ketchum, she was immersed in the world of Pokémon from a very young age. He was, what the Pokémon World called him, a Pokémon Master, though he modestly referred to himself as the 'Almost Pokémon Master'.

She tries once again, "I won't be alone. Me, Milo and Teresa promised each other we'd leave when we're all 13. I can't just break a promise like that!"

Her mother was adamant like usual, and shook her head. "I won't let you!"

"You're impossible to convince!" Scarlett shouted in despair, and ran out of the house, slamming the door as hard as she could on her way out. Tears leaked out of her eyes in sadness and anger toward her overprotective mother, but she wiped them away forcefully. She hated all of these pointless arguments. It only hurt both of their feelings when they shouted things at each other that they would never say. Neither would apologize, and the anger would keep bottling up inside until the next shouting match, when the emotions would explode.

Scarlett had tried everything she could think of to get her mom to let her go. She helped out around the house whenever she could, especially the laundry and cooking. But what she didn't know was that those weren't the reasons her mom wouldn't let her go.

She had thought that she would have been able to go out on just after thirteenth birthday after proving to her mom she could take care of herself, and so she had told her friends that they would get their first Pokémon today. But now, as her mom still wouldn't let her go, she couldn't get her starter.

Walking at a brisk pace to get to a place as far away from her house as possible, she called her best friend Milo on the PokéGear she received for her eighth birthday.

She and Milo went quite a ways back, when he stood up for her against two boys at school. They did just about everything together when they were younger, from hiking through the woods and getting lost, to mock battles using her dad's Pokémon.

Then a year after the bullying incident, there was a new girl at school and she was targeted by the same boys as she always had her head in a book about Pokémon, whether it was about typing advantages and disadvantages, moves, or facts about Pokémon.

Scarlett had punched one of the boys in the face, furious that they kept teasing the girl. Scarlett had been sent to the principal's office, but after the detention, the girl had thanked Scarlett for standing up for her. She introduced herself as Teresa, and afterwards, the three of them stuck together closer than glue.

It didn't take long for Milo to pick up. He flashed Scarlett a brilliant smile on his face. "Well if it isn't Scarlett," Milo waved to her. "What's up?"

"I've got bad news," Scarlett begins tentatively, not wanting to ruin his good mood. "I can't start my journey with you guys. My mother is being way too overprotective, and I just can't manage to convince her I'm ready. You and Teresa can and should leave without me."

"Leave without you?" Milo laughed incredulously. Then his face turned serious on the glowing screen of the device. "You aren't kidding, are you?"

"I'm being serious. Go on, start your journey. I won't mind a bit." But her face and voice gave her true feelings away. Scarlett's lips quivered and unfallen tears shone in the emerald eyes on her pale face.

"A terrible liar, as always," Milo frowned worriedly. He was able to read Scarlett like an open book. They had known each other for so long that there wasn't much she could hide from him, and vice versa. "I know how much your journey means to you. You want to become a Pokémon Master, just like your dad wanted to. I think you'd do a great job, too. I honestly have no clue why your mom won't let you go while your dad encourages it. You're tougher and more resourceful than me and Teresa put together times two. We need you in our group. We can't leave without you."

Scarlett was so touched by Milo that the tears began falling off of her face. They stained the green shirt she was wearing. She sniffled a bit, before managing to say, "You're such a great friend."

Milo grinned. "That's me. After we get our starters, we'll meet you at the park. I also think we should wait a month before leaving, in case you can convince your mom."

Scarlett nodded in relief, wiping away her tears and smiled, relieved. "Thanks Milo. Get your starter soon." She then ended the call and sighed.

_What I wouldn't give for a Pokémon of my own,_ she thought sadly. _Dad's are great, but having your own Pokémon is different. The way my mother's going at it, I might never be able to leave Nuvema Town!_

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><p>"Hey Teresa!" Milo waved enthusiastically at the blonde-haired girl from his bicycle. It skidded to a halt beside Teresa. His happy expression turned solemn quickly after stopping. He took off his bike helmet before he gravely said, "I've got bad news. Scarlett's mom won't let her go for some odd reason. We're going to have to choose our starters without her."<p>

"That's horrible!" Teresa exclaimed, and covered her mouth with her hands. "That's so unfair! What about our plan to journey together?"

"We're going to wait here for a month, and hope that she can manage to convince her mom into letting her come along." Milo raked his hand through his already tousled -by the wind-brown hair. "Hopefully, she can get her mom to change her mind. But if anyone can do it, it's Scarlett."

Teresa shook her head in wonderment. "How is she so stubborn?"

Milo chuckled lightly. "She gets it all from her dad."

They both laughed heartily, and their spirits were lifted for the time being. Milo dismounted his bicycle, and walked it with Teresa to her house to grab her bike for the short journey to Professor Juniper's lab. The Pidove continued their melodious chirping amid the summer morning.

"Milo?" Teresa shouted at him as they whizzed quickly into the summer breeze. It cooled them down considerably. The sun was becoming unbearable without shade. "Which Pokémon are you choosing?" Teresa was a very curious girl, and liked learning any information that she could. She was a bookworm, after all.

Milo looked over his shoulder, which was rather dangerous, and Teresa couldn't help but let out a small gasp and slow her bike down a bit. He gave her his mysterious grin. "I'm not telling. It's a secret."

Teresa rolled her eyes at him. Those things should be kept a secret until the big reveal. But it didn't hurt to ask.

The bike ride didn't take too long, perhaps only 5 minutes or so, but both of them were completely drenched in sweat by the time they arrived. It was only around 9:30 AM, but the sun was already really heating up the earth. The Pidove had completely stopped chirping, and were now only hiding in the shade, too tired and hot to whistle.

Teresa wiped her forehead with the back of her palm. "It's so hot outside!" she exclaimed. "Let's get inside Professor Juniper's lab before we turn into toast. Maybe the air conditioning is on."

Teresa gently placed her bike on the ground while Milo quickly dropped his, causing her to wince from the harsh sound of metal scraping the pavement. The pair then scurried up the stairs to the automatic doors. A blast of cool air provided relief from the heat, and they stepped inside quickly, the automatic doors closing behind them with a soft click.

"My friend and I are here to get our first Pokémon!" Teresa called out to the seemingly empty research facility.

There wasn't an immediate reply, and Milo began tapping his foot in impatience. He certainly couldn't stand around for long. "The Professor can't be out, can she? I made my mother call Professor Juniper to tell her that we were coming."

"You need to stop being so impatient. Professor Juniper is probably busy researching something on Pokémon origins." However, Teresa couldn't help but hold a sliver of doubt as to whether or not the Professor remembered that they were getting starter Pokémon today. She was very busy, after all.

"I'm so sorry for making you wait!" A pleasant voice rose from a room in the back. Professor Juniper appeared soon after, carrying a clip board and a rather large stack of books, with her assistant/co-worker rolling out the cart behind her. "Milo and Teresa, it's so good to see you! And where's Scarlett? That girl is so much like her father. I know she wouldn't have missed this day for anything in the world."

Milo and Teresa both turned away from the Professor. "Well, you see-" Teresa began.

"Scarlett's mom won't let her come with us on our journey." Milo finished for her awkwardly. "I really wish she could get her first Pokémon with us."

Professor Juniper sighed. "I thought this might happen. Her mom can be very stubborn as well. But knowing her, there is an extremely good reason as to why Scarlett can't go."

"But we won't leave until Scarlett can convince her mom!" Milo declared.

The Professor raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's very loyal of you, Milo. Anyways, why don't you pick your Pokémon?"

"Hurray!" Teresa ran right up to the 3 Poké Balls sitting on the cart, and ogled them like some sort of attraction. "Please let me pick first!"

"All right," Professor Juniper laughed lightly at the soon-to-be Trainer's enthusiasm. "As the old saying goes, ladies first."

"Aw, come on! That's totally not fair!" Milo pouted. "I wanted to go first!"

Teresa stuck her tongue out in a very un-ladylike manner at her friend, who flipped his right eyelid over. Teresa recoiled in disgust while Milo snorted with laughter.

Professor Juniper, thankfully, did not catch this exchange, and continued as if nothing happened. "As you know, there are 3 starters in Unova. There's the Fire type Tepig, the Water type, Oshawott, and the Grass type, Snivy." As she said each of the Pokémon's names, she released them from their Poké Ball. They appeared in a flash of red light, and landed on the floor in front of the two new trainers. "They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and they are all great for beginning trainers. Teresa, as you're going first, which Pokémon do you choose?"

Teresa turned her head to Tepig, who snorted a few embers and grunted at her. "I don't think Tepig's a good choice for me." She shook her head and moved on to Snivy. Snivy scoffed at her and stuck its nose up in disgust. "Probably not Snivy, then."

Finally, she snuck a glance at Oshawott, expecting the worst. In fact, the Sea Otter Pokémon's eyes were as wide as saucers, and it gazed at Teresa with a look of admiration. Teresa couldn't help but squeal in delight. A Pokémon actually liked her! "It's so cute! Oshawott, would you like to be my partner?"

Oshawott jumped up and down in excitement and ran straight into Teresa's open arms. "Osh! Oshawott!"

"You chose Oshawott?" Milo asked, clearly baffled. He had expected her to pick Snivy, as they were known for their intelligence and calm manner. Teresa was, as Milo thought, awfully like a Snivy. "But why?"

"Because I felt I clicked with it immediately, and that didn't happen with Tepig or Snivy. Besides, it's absolutely adorable!"

"Are those the only reasons you chose Oshawott?" Milo said mockingly. He actually liked the reasons why she picked Oshawott, but friends have to tease each other a little bit. "Water types are so overrated. As for me, I choose Tepig! It looks very determined and ready to win any battle!"

"Tepig!" The Fire Pig Pokémon strutted over to Milo, and stood proudly with its new trainer, leaving poor Snivy alone. It stared wistfully at the new Trainers, but did not regret turning down the girl. It had wanted to be chosen by the boy, but he had chosen Tepig. Snivy would have to be alone until the next starters came. It had grown up with them, and now might never see its friends ever again. But it could handle it. It's handled worse before.

"I think that both of you will be just fine with Milo and Teresa. They are fine young people, even if Milo doesn't look like it," the Professor winked at Oshawott and Tepig who were gently being held by Milo and Teresa in their arms. The two chosen Starters beamed at the Professor, glad to be in good hands.

"What about our Pokédexes?" Teresa inquired.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Professor Juniper reached for a small drawer on the side of the cart and pulled it out. Resting on the red velvet lining were three Pokédexes. She handed one each to Milo and Teresa, leaving the third in its place.

"That was meant for Scarlett," Milo said as a statement.

"Yes, it was," Professor Juniper sighed. "It's a pity. Scarlett would have loved Snivy. She's tough and graceful and energetic, just like Snivy is. I'm sure that Snivy would have approved of Scarlett, too."

Snivy's eyes perked up, and it wildly looked around to see if the girl the Professor had mentioned was here. But she wasn't. She seemed like the kind of Trainer it wanted. But that new Trainer wasn't here, and that meant it couldn't be chosen. A single tear trickled down the Grass Snake Pokémon's face. The tough Pokémon couldn't bear to let anyone see its tears, so it scampered as quickly as it could out of the facility, probably to see if it could find the Trainer Professor Juniper was talking about.

"Hey Professor? Where's Snivy heading?" Milo tilted his head in confusion from Snivy's unexpected flight. "Does it usually do this?"

"Oh dear," the Professor began walking to the automatic doors. "I'm afraid Snivy doesn't like it when things don't go its way. It must have wanted to be picked by Scarlett, but she isn't here. Don't worry; I'll go after it."

The new Trainers followed the Professor out of the research lab. Sure enough, it was positively boiling outside.

"I'd forgotten how hot it was outside," Teresa fanned her face with her hand, to no avail. "Let's get back home quickly and have ourselves a real battle!"

Milo and Teresa both hopped onto their roasting bikes, complaining all the while, and rode off as quick as they could back home. Of course, Professor Juniper was left standing alone outside in the heat. "Teens will be teens, I suppose. Always eager for a battle to test one's strength. Now, where's my bike? I must have left it around here somewhere." She put her hands in her lab coat's pockets and headed back inside.

Her assistant/co-worker was just getting ready to roll the cart back to its place, but she stopped when the Professor asked, "Did you put my bike somewhere obscure, Bianca?"

The blonde-haired woman froze, and began bowing apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I left the bike in Accumula Town's Pokémon Centre by mistake! I was in a rush, and got into the car without putting the bike in the back. I hope it's still there. I'm very sorry, Aurea."

The Professor sighed. "Oh, Bianca. I suppose just because you've grown up, doesn't make you less of a klutz. I needed it, but I suppose I can bear the walk to Nuvema Town to find the runaway Snivy."

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><p><strong>AN: How was that? The story's actually starting now. The next update won't happen for a week or more, but I'll try to update it soon.<strong>

** LeoKnightus-Hollow- Thank you very much for reviewing! :D I'm also very excited for what I've got in store for Scarlett and her friends.**

**Note: Also, for obvious reasons, the Pokémon's movesets will be composed of 6 moves, not 4. It's too hard to write a truly exciting battle with only 4 moves at your disposal, but too awkward to write a battle scene with 8 moves in the Pokémon's arsenal. Hence I picked the sensible number 6. The Pokémon may also have 1 move that they cannot use in battle, but can use outside of battles when there is an emergency.**

**For example, say a Purrloin has the following moveset: Scratch, Assist, Fury Swipes, Torment, Captivate and Double Team, with Rest as an 'emergency move'. After the battle, it can use the move 'Rest' to recover, but that move cannot be used within the battle.  
><strong>

_**Notes/Questions to Consider:**_  
><em><strong>1. Why won't Scarlett's mom let her go on a journey? Is there a secret that Scarlett doesn't know?<strong>_  
><em><strong>2. Of course Ash is in another region. He has the traveling bug. Does he know about why Scarlett's mom won't let her go on a journey? What does he think about preventing his daughter from traveling around?<strong>_

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Stay tuned!**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	4. Battle of Water and Fire

**AN: I know I said the 2nd chapter would be uploaded in a week or even more, but inspiration strikes from anywhere, at anytime.**

Update: This chapter, like the first, has been changed to the 3rd person, past tense. The original was in first person, present tense.

**Disclaimer: As I've stated multiple times, I do not own the Pokémon franchise in any way shape or form. I own only the story and any OCs.**

* * *

><p>Scarlett sighed heavily as she swung back and forth on a swing in the local playground. "What I wouldn't give for a Pokémon of my own," she murmured sadly. "I wish I could have gone with them, but my mom just wouldn't let me!"<p>

She wished with all her heart that she could have gotten her starter with her friends, but now they only served as a reminder that she was the only one of them who couldn't receive a starter. She was worried that her jealousy might come through and ruin the happy moment for her friends.  
><span>  
>Soon enough, her friends rushed into the playground area, throwing their bikes on the ground in excitement.<br>"Scarlett! I told Teresa you'd be here!" Milo grinned as he and Teresa hurried over to the swing set. "She didn't believe me!" Scarlett gradually slowed the swing down by skimming the sand with her feet, and she hopped off eagerly as soon as she deemed the height of the swing low enough.

"Milo! Teresa! You're back!" Scarlett, with forced enthusiasm, rushed up to her best friends. "Quick, tell me! Who did you choose to be your partner?" She acted a lot more cheerful than she actually was , but thankfully Milo and Teresa took no note of it.

Teresa twirled around in happiness. She couldn't wait to show off how awesome her Pokémon was and to prove to Milo she hadn't made a wrong choice. "Let's show Scarlett in a Pokémon Battle!" This would mark Milo and Teresa's first ever Pokémon Battle where they used their own Pokémon.

Milo nodded enthusiastically. He couldn't wait to prove Teresa wrong, in a friendl competitive match between best friends. "Scarlett, you can be the ref." Milo was very clever, as this was a great way to not let Scarlett feel so depressed about not getting a Pokémon.

"Sure, why not?" She gave both of them a thumbs up, and Milo and Teresa moved onto the practice battle field located in the playground. It was made of well-packed sand that would absorb the impacts of falls, so if a Pokémon fell down, it wouldn't get hurt too much. It was the perfect place for a first battle.

Scarlett moved to the side of the field farthest from the entrance of the playground and aligned herself with the centre line. Teresa chose to go on the side right of Scarlett while Milo went for the left. They stood ready, waiting for Scarlett's signal to start the battle.

Scarlett hesitated, trying recall all of the Pokémon battles she's seen, and tried to remember the official words a referee said before the battle began. "The battle between Teresa of Nuvema Town and Milo of Nuvema Town will now get under way. Each side may use one Pokémon, and the battle is over…when I say it is. Trainers, are you ready?"

Both of her friends stared each other down determinedly, gripping their starter's Poké Ball tightly. Teresa was sweating slightly, either from the heat or from nervousness, but she'd have to learn to stay calm in battle.

"Nervous already?" Milo asked Teresa in a teasing manner. "You'll be even more nervous when I knock the socks off of your Pokémon!"

"I-I'm not nervous!" Teresa protested, though it was obvious she was nervous. "It's just really hot outside."

"Alright, begin!" Scarlett brought her arms down dramatically, signaling the start of the battle. Milo's grip on the Poké Ball tightened even more when he brought his right arm back and tossed it into the centre of the battlefield with all his might. "Let's go!" he shouted loudly, his voice ringing in the humid summer weather.

In a flash of white light, Milo's Tepig appeared. The Fire Pig Pokémon snorted and pawed the ground agitatedly, eager for a fight.

Teresa's hand trembled as she reached behind her head to throw her Poké Ball. It wasn't good that her nervousness showed through. If she remained nervous during the battle... "It's up to you!" she called out as bravely as she could. The Poké Ball she released spun rapidly through the air, and popped open in front of Tepig.

"Oshawott!" The Sea Otter Pokémon tapped its scalchop confidently.

Scarlett sighed in relief for her friend, glad she was at a typing advantage.

Milo decided to make the first move, as Teresa was indescisive. "Tackle, Tepig!" Tepig stomped on the ground, throwing up clouds of dust. It was attempting to intimidate Oshawott before it attaked. Tepig leapt forward, gaining speed as it almost flew over the ground.

"You Tackle too, Oshawott! Get your scalchop ready!" Teresa countered immediately. She was much more confident in the heat of battle. She must have just gotten pre-battle jitters. Oshawott leapt forward too, with a fierce battle cry.

Scarlett covered her face with her hands, hoping the two little Pokémon didn't crash into each other too hard, but she lowered her hands when Teresa confidently yelled, "Fake right!"

Just before the two Pokémon collided, Oshawott jumped slightly to the right to dodge and slashed at Tepig with its scalchop in an imitation of the move Razor Shell. The scalchop caught Tepig across the snout and Tepig squealed in pain. It quickly backed up to its side of the battlefield.

When it was backing up, Teresa yelled, "Now quick Oshawott! Water Gun!" The fierce little otter took a deep breath before firing Water Gun square in Tepig's face.

It took quite a bit of damage, but Milo wasn't about to give up so fast. "Teresa, now I'm starting to think that you faked that nervousness. Tepig! Full speed Tackle attack!" Tepig charged right at Oshawott once again, but this time, Milo added an extra order. "Now Tail Whip right after the Tackle!" And Tepig did just that, evening out the damage by first taking the Sea Otter Pokémon's breath away by using Tackle, and following up with a well placed Tail Whip right in Oshawott's stomach. The poor little water type rolled head over heels a few times before skidding to a halt, back on its side of the battlefield.

"Don't give up, Oshawott! Water Gun again!" Teresa encouraged the Sea Otter. Oshawott got up, determined to win, and aimed another Water Gun at Tepig. Its aim was a bit off though, as it was still dizzy from the previous attacks, and it only skimmed off of Tepig's hide. Tepig shook its body, and panted tiredly. Scarlett glanced back at Oshawott, and she noticed it was quite tired too.

"I declare this battle over. This match is a draw." Scarlett raised her hands to signify the end of the battle. Milo and Teresa reached for their Poké Balls to return their Pokémon, but their Pokémon prepared to attack without an order from their trainer. They were not willing to say that they were of equal strength.

Scarlett squinted, and judged the Pokémon's stances. She was gauging the energy they had left and where they were preparing to aim their attacks. This final stand would most likely result in a double Knock-Out. She felt a tug deep in her belly, and knew in an instant that she couldn't let that happen.

"Oshawott! Tepig! Please stop your attacks now! You'll get hurt!" Instinctively, she raced in between the Pokémon just before they let their attacks loose. Scarlett faced Oshawott and spread her arms out, clearly preferring her face to be soaked than burned. She squared her shoulders as she prepared for the impact of the attacks.

"Scarlett!" her friends screamed in unison as she was hit squarely by a powerful stream of water in the front and burning coals in the back. She cried out, and slowly sunk to her knees and lay on her right side on the dusty ground, favouring the front of her body. She let out a moan of pain. A few locks of her bright ginger hair were singed and blackened by the fire. Smoke rose from her hair and danced around in the summer heat, curling and spiraling upwards, drawn to the sun.

Her friends rushed towards her in shock, and Tepig and Oshawott were horrified by what they had done. There was a rustling in the bushes to Scarlett's immediate left. Something darted out from the cover of the bush, and in a green blur, ran up to her. It called out desperately, wanting to know if the young girl was all right, "Snivy? Snivy, Snivy Snivy?"

Scarlett's eyes flickered over the green and white Grass Snake. Scarlett managed to mumble, "Ugh." She wasn't feeling too well. The Pokémon took a step back. Snivy was gazing very concerned at Scarlett.

"Don't worry too much about me, Snivy. As long as Oshawott and Tepig are alright." Scarlett saw colourful spots dance in front of her eyes, and knew that she would probably pass out soon. But she was glad she had done the right thing. Her eyes closed slowly.

Snivy too closed it eyes as Scarlett began to lose consciousness, and it began glow with a green light emitted from its body in waves.

"Aromatherapy?" Teresa asked in wonderment as she knelt down on the ground. Oshawott and Tepig were standing beside her and Milo, and they were very ashamed of themselves. "But that's an Egg move!"

Snivy ignored Teresa's comment, and continued healing Scarlett's burns. Her charred hair faded from charcoal black to ginger, and grew back to its original length. The burns faded from her body completely, leaving no scars or scabs.

Snivy opened its eyes, and Scarlett stirred slightly. Scarlett wedged her elbow between herself and the ground, and slowly pushed her way up. Teresa scrambled up from her sitting position and hugged her. Teresa then asked her, "Are you okay?"

Scarlett rubbed her head. "Yeah, I'm fine now." She looked around, confused. "But who healed me?"

Teresa pointed to the space directly below and in front of me. The final Unova starter stared at her, unsure of what to do.

Scarlett broke into a huge grin, emerald eyes shining in thanks. "Snivy, your healing powers are amazing. Thank you."

Snivy smiled indulgently. "Snivy Snivy."

Teresa chimed in, "You have no idea how worried me and Milo were until Professor Juniper's Snivy jumped out of the bushes and healed you."

"We thought you were a goner for sure," Milo joined the hug, leaving the Unova starters standing awkwardly together. "You are so reckless when it comes to a Pokémon's well-being!"

Scarlett released her friends from the hug and said, "It was the right thing to do. A first time battle needn't be a knockout."

Scarlett gets into a kneeling position and shuffled her feet so she was just in front of the starters. Oshawott covered its face with its arms and Tepig cringed and edged back. Both were terrified, and were wondering about what kind of scolding they'd get.

"Hey, it's okay."

Oshawott uncovered its eyes for a moment, but it re-covered them, still apprehensive. Tepig's ears twitched.

Scarlett smiled brightly at the blue otter and orange pig Pokémon. "I'm not upset at all. I know you just got a bit carried away in the heat of the battle. Besides, Snivy cured me of all my burns. I'll really be fine. No need to worry!"

Tepig and Oshawott stopped hiding and cringing. Scarlett returned her attention to Snivy, who looked at her questioningly. "And you helped me out! Aren't you just the cutest little thing?"

Snivy's warm brown eyes began shining like the sun. It was quite impressed with the way Scarlett had risked herself to prevent a double Knock-Out. Snivy walked right up to Scarlett before using its tail like a spring to launch something at her. Scarlett snatched the something out of midair and gasped upon realizing what it was. "This is a Poké Ball!"

Snivy nodded enthusiastically before a vine snaked out from its neck and pressed the white button on the front of the Poké Ball. With a slight grin, it allowed itself to be sucked in. The ball wobbled once, twice, three times before coming to a stop.

Scarlett stared at the Poké Ball resting in the palm of her hand in disbelief. _Snivy just jumped in itself?_ She thought.

Milo shakily pointed at Snivy's Poké Ball. "You caught a Pokémon without battling it?" he asked incredulously. "That's crazy!"

Scarlett shrugged. "So it seems I have." Milo's jaw dropped at her answer. He had expected her to boast about how awesome she was. She rose to her feet, not as shakily as before, and held the mechanical red and white ball triumphantly in the air. "I've got a Snivy!"

Teresa clapped excitedly, and Oshawott and Tepig were very happy too, obviously glad that their friend wouldn't be alone at Professor Juniper's lab.

Speaking of the Professor! She walked quickly through the streets, calling out for something to come back. When she spotted the group in the park, she ran over while shouting, "Milo, Teresa, and Scarlett too! I'm so glad I've found you! Have you seen a Snivy wandering around these parts?" The Professor was very flustered. She'd run all the way from the research facility and her usually neat high ponytail was ruffled and hair was sticking out in every which way.

Scarlett grinned jauntily and flashed the Professor the Poké Ball containing Snivy. "It's right here!"

Professor Juniper's face underwent shock, confusion, and relief, before she said, "Oh, I'm so glad Snivy is safe. It was quite upset when it wasn't chosen and when I mentioned there was a trainer who couldn't come today; it dashed out of the lab without any warning. So Snivy chose you?"

"It sure did." Scarlett smiled happily at the Poké Ball. "I still can't quite believe it myself."

"Snivy can be very fickle Pokémon. To me, it speaks fathoms that it came all this way and chose you."

Scarlett scratched the back of her head in embarrassment from the compliment. "Well, I did block two attacks to prevent a double Knock-Out in Oshawott and Tepig's battle after I declared it was over. I got burned pretty badly, but Snivy healed me with Aromatherapy. Does that count as 'proving my worth'?"

"Definitely!" the Professor beamed. "Congratulations, Scarlett! And this could be your lucky break. If you take care of Snivy well, your mom just might change her mind about your journey."

"Oh, wow. You're right! Could I really keep Snivy?" Scarlett was ecstatic. In fact, earlier she had planned to choose Snivy as her starter. And now Snivy was her Pokémon!

"Go right ahead, Scarlett. Snivy chose you. And I'll see about giving your mom a call to let her know about Snivy. I know you'll be a great Trainer, and Snivy'll certainly help you out along your journey."

Scarlett's mom had jumped when the video phone had started chirping its usual ridiculous tune, and rushed over, hoping her sometimes forgetful husband remembered to call to let her know where he was and how he and his Pokémon were doing. Excitement had turned to slight disappointment when she realized it wasn't him, but rather the town's resident professor. "Hello? Professor Juniper? Why are you calling?"

"Hello! I just wanted to let you know that my Grass type starter, Snivy, has taken quite a liking to Scarlett. You could say that Snivy chose Scarlett to be its Trainer." The professor chuckled at this. "They really are a perfect match-up. Would you allow Scarlett to keep Snivy?"

"If that's what's best for Snivy, then of course!" Scarlett's mom nervously twiddled her thumbs. "That isn't the only reason you called, is it?"

"Certainly not. I want to know the reason you won't let Scarlett go on a journey."

Scarlett's mom sighed, "Since you asked, I'll tell you." She pulled a chair out from under the desk and sat down on it. This might take a while. "It's mine and my husband's belief that there are certain people in the region. They're out looking for people with a special kind of power. This power is the ability to control Aura, something that every living being has. It's an extremely rare ability, and very dangerous when used for a wrong deed."

Professor Juniper nodded in comprehension. "Yes, I've read stories about people with extraordinary skills while researching legendary Pokémon. But how does Scarlett come into play?"

"You see, my husband is one of those people. He decided to not pursue that path but to continue as a Trainer instead, but he is one of them. I've seen him use it once before when I saw his memories."

"Wouldn't those people pursue him then?"

"Oh, they know he's an Aura User, but they're looking for younger people, that may be easily manipulated, not veteran Trainers. And Scarlett is more like her father than it seems. Not only does she have a similar personality, she also inherited his skill as a Trainer and the power to control Aura. She's used it quite a few times when she was younger. If those people got their hands on her…"

"You can't keep her at home forever." Professor Juniper frowned. "She's inherited all of Ash's will to travel and explore. She's certainly braver than you make her out to be."

"The thing is, she doesn't even remember all of those times she's used the Aura when she was younger. They're out looking for someone like her. It's one of the reasons we chose to move here, to Nuvema Town. We don't have many friend connections in Unova. It's only really you, Cilan and Iris, among a few others, but certainly not as many friends as we have in the other regions. No one would suspect us to be living here. If Scarlett went out on a journey, she'd attract unwanted attention from the media. She's very talented despite no formal training in a school for talented Trainers. Someone's going to realize sooner or later that she's Ash's daughter, and that means big trouble for her! These people…they'll do anything to get what they want. The risk is too great, and the cost too high. I can't let them hurt Scarlett!"

"Scarlett is capable of taking care of herself. Even if they did attack, all of your stories at bedtime about 'Team Rocket's blasting off again' would help immensely. Scarlett's very upset that she can't go on a journey. Won't you just let her try?"

"Nope, not a chance." Scarlett's mom crossed her arms over her chest, and her Delphox followed suit, its stick lighting up with a flickering orange flame to match its feelings about keeping Scarlett safe.

"I think your entire family has a stubborn streak. I blame it all on your husband." The professor had tried her best, but it was impossible to convince her. She disconnected the call. "And I know exactly what Scarlett will do next. I hope you know what you're doing, Serena."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There was a bit of an information dump in the last section. Heh heh heh. Hope you guys don't mind too much.<strong>

**How was the battle? The protagonists' battling styles differentiate greatly, with Milo pursuing raw strength, Teresa pursuing pure strategy, and Scarlett doing her best to strike a harmonious balance between the two.**

**So the secret is out. Serena is Scarlett's mom! I would have put Serena and Ash's names in the character slots, but that gave way too much away. This means heavy Amourshipping throughout the Road to Victory series, but it's not in front of your face. It's in the form of the main protagonist. If you don't support Amourshipping, that's okay. This story isn't focusing on Serena and Ash, remember. Scarlett is the star!**

**_Notes/Questions to Consider:_  
><em>1. Scarlett can manipulate and control Aura, just like her dad. Who are these people, and are they connected to the man who seeks power?<em>  
><em>2. Scarlett really is similar to her dad. Both of them would go to drastic measures to protect Pokémon. Just how similar is she?<em>**

**The next update will probably be around March 2nd. Stay tuned!**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	5. Night Fright

**AN: I'm so sorry for not updating when I said I would. This chapter gave me quite a bit of trouble, as there were a lot of descriptions I had to do (I really do mean a lot). Here it is, the long-awaited Chapter 3!**

Update: This chapter is now also changed to the third person, past tense, like chapters 1 and 2. The original was in the first person, present tense.  
><strong><br>Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the ideas and OCs. **

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe my mom actually let me keep you, Snivy." Scarlett said for the umpteenth time to the little green snake. Snivy just nodded happily and snuggled into deeper into Scarlett's blankets with a content look on its face.<p>

"Well, good night Snivy. Sweet dreams," she smiled for the last time tonight at Snivy, and Snivy yawned and closed its eyes. Scarlett followed suit moments later.

When Scarlett opened her eyes, she was standing on a plain of pure darkness while sparks of purple lightning danced all around her. There weren't any sounds coming from the streaks of purple. They wriggled back and forth in no specific pattern. The overall effect was quite eerie. It was made more so when Scarlett spotted her Snivy right next to her, looking bewildered by its surroundings. When it saw Scarlett, it gestured frantically to its surroundings while muttering, "Snivy? Snivy Snivy?"

"You're in this dream too, huh?" Scarlett asked it, crouching down and touching Snivy lightly on the head. She remained wary of her surroundings, as even though she's had some pretty crazy dreams, none of those could compare to this dream. The only she wasn't wary of was the purple lightning, as it never seemed to touch them. "Where are we, anyways? I don't recognize this place at all."

_Scarlett Ketchum, _a deep voice boomed throughout the black space. Scarlett stumbled backwards from the intensity of the loudness. _Behold._

Scarlett scoffed in disbelief. She didn't think that there was anything to behold in the desolate place.

Snivy kept pointing up at the sky, and its tone of voice was very urgent and when Scarlett noticed, she couldn't help but look up. And then she beheld something she'll remember for the rest of her life.

Flying overhead were three majestic bird-like Pokémon coloured red, yellow and blue. The red bird looked as if its wings were made of molten fire. The yellow bird had very pointy feathers and smelt heavily of ozone. And the blue bird had three long feathers for its tail and it was surrounded by an icy blizzard. They were the Legendary Bird Trio. _Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno.  
><em>  
>Snivy tugged on Scarlett's pant leg while pointing in the direction the birds had come from. Something new was bounding across the plain of darkness. No, three somethings were bounding across the plain of darkness. The thrum of their footprints echoed, and they zoom past Scarlett, bringing with them a touch of wind. Scarlett's ginger hair whipped across her face, and she brushed strands of hair out of her mouth.<p>

One was brown with a yellow and red crown and white paws and a white tail. The large lion-like Pokémon radiated heat.

Another was mainly yellow, with a gray-purple mane, a light blue tail and white underbelly and claws. Black zigzag markings decorated its pelt. Rainclouds raced overhead the Pokémon's tail, rumbling with thunder.

The final beast was a pale blue, with a flowing mane of purple and white ribbon tail with a white underbelly. Everything about it flowed like water, graceful and lithe. The blue Pokémon was faster than the other two, thus leading the trio. They dashed off into the horizon, and very soon, it wasn't possible to see them anymore. These Pokémon were known as the Legendary Beast Trio. _Entei, Raikou and Suicune._

Snivy once again said something urgently, and Scarlett turned her head back to the direction the other Pokémon came from. Sure enough, a new trio was heading past them.

One soared through the air, letting out a fierce roar that made Scarlett and Snivy cover their ears. It was mainly green with yellow ovals, and it had stubby little arms. It had odd horns on its head, and on top of that, its sharp teeth and glare made it intimidating.

Another surfed on a tidal wave that miraculously missed the pair. Its main body and tail were a rich blue, and it had a white underbelly. Red primeval lines were arranged in a strange pattern across its back. It was not as intimidating as the green one, but it was scary in its own way as a representative of the relentlessness of water.

The last one stomped heavily. It was so heavy it half sunk into the black plains, making the 'floor' seem like jelly. Its body was red, and it had a dark gray underbelly. Black lines were arranged in an equally strange pattern. They covered its entire being-other than its underbelly. Terrifying yellow eyes glared at Scarlett, and she shuddered in horror. These were the Pokémon known as the Weather Trio. _Rayquaza, Kyogre and Groudon._

Snivy clung tightly onto Scarlett's pajama pants. She scooped up the frightened Pokémon and stroked its back gently, trying her best to calm it. It worked as Snivy stopped shaking in horror.

Soon after the Weather Trio disappeared over the horizon, another trio came. They all moved in different ways, but they were all going forward at the same speed.

One was seemingly made of chunks of solid gray rock, and there was a pattern of yellow dots in the shape of an 'H' where its face should have been. Its sturdy shoulders were made of brown rocks.

The one to the left of the rock Pokémon was made of solid ice. Four ice chunks stuck out of its back, and a pattern of yellow dots in the shape of a cross covered where its face should have been.

The one to the right of the rock Pokémon was made of steel and it had a pattern of red dots in the shape of a hexagon on its face. Its arms were black and extremely flexible. The rock Pokémon stomped heavily, the ice Pokémon glided over the plains, and the steel Pokémon walked normally. It was the Golem Trio. _Regirock, Regice and Registeel._

Scarlett looked back, expecting another trio to appear out of the blackness, and Snivy did the same, still snuggled safely in her arms. This time, it was a trio of dragons. They flew through the air slowly but purposefully.

The one leading the trio was a light gray colour with black tentacles coming out of its back. Those were its wings, and they flapped one after another like a wave. Its underbelly had alternating black and red stripes, and it had yellow armor covering the back of its neck.

Close behind it was a towering beast that was dark blue with light blue stripes running up its legs. Bluish metal crowned its head, surrounded its chest and flourished its tail. The blue dragon's tail swished back and forth slowly. Finishing it off was a large blue gem that pulsated with a hidden light located on its chest.

Last in the trio was a pale lavender dragon with darker purple lines stretching along its tail, neck and shoulders. On its enunciated shoulders were two pink jewels. This was the Creation Trio. _Giratina, Dialga and Palkia._

Next up were a trio of small fairy-like Pokémon that flew gracefully in the air. They all had pale gray as their main body colour, but each of their faces and headdresses were a different colour. The all had an oval gem in the centre of their foreheads, as well as two tails with red gems on the ends of the tails.

The one flying out in the front had a pink face, followed by one with a blue face, and bringing up the rear was one with a yellow face. The ones with pink and blue faces had their eyes wide open, showing their yellow colour, but the Pokémon with the yellow face's eyes were closed.

These Pokémon made up the Lake Trio. _Mespirit, Azelf and Uxie._

There were now three tall Pokémon, and they ran across the plain easily.

The leader was blue, and it had light brown horns spiraling out from the top of its head. Its hooves thrummed against the ground without a sound. The leader of the pack also had a tuft of white fur on the front of its neck, sort of like a scarf.

The Pokémon right after the leader was gray with a tan underbelly. Floppy brown ears trailed in the makeshift wind created by the pack. It stomped heavily, but is somehow still able to not look clumsy, but strong instead.

The Pokémon to bring up the tail was spring green, with white hind legs. Its feet looked like they were tucked in boots, and two weird green things jutted out of its head perpendicular to the ground. It gracefully leapt and sprung across the plains. They were known as the Swords of Justice. _Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion._

Another trio appeared, and they zoom through the sky. The Pokémon's lower bodies were covered up by a large white cloud. They were all very muscular, and all had white hair and beards.

The one leading the trio was orange with red spots all over its body. Three red horns stuck out of its head, and a long brown tail with red bumps curled around its body. Its yellow eyes were fierce. The land below shook, and if the ground was dirt, rocks would fly up because of the vibrations.

The Pokémon to the left of the leader was a light blue, with purple spots and a purple horn, and the Pokémon to the right had a green body with purple spots and a purple horn. The pale blue Pokémon brought forth dark thunder clouds that attracted the purple lightning and caused it to strike the space all around. The forest green Pokémon brought gale force winds along with it, pushing the trio forward at a fast pace. It was the Legendary Trio known as the Forces of Nature. _Landorus, Thundurus and Tornadus._

Another trio of dragons appeared. The one leading the trio was a dark gray, with an ice blue head and wings. It chilled the air around it, indicating that the dragon was most likely an Ice type. It also had formidable yellow eyes with no pupils, daring anything to come closer and fight it.

To the right of the Ice dragon was a pure white Pokémon. It had no other colours at all, except for its startling blue eyes. It screeched loudly, and its large cylinder-shaped tail lit up with a powerful flame.

To the left of the Ice dragon was a pure black Pokémon. Like the white Pokémon, it had no accent colours except for ferocious red eyes. As it bellowed, it attracted the purple lighting to it, and charged up the lightning, making it brighter than before. These fierce dragons made up the Tao Trio. _Zekrom, Reshiram and Kyurem._

Now all of the possible Legendary Trios have appeared. But Scarlett knew that it wasn't over yet. She waited impatiently for something to happen, when suddenly a pink cat with a long and thin tail darted over their heads. It's Mew, the New Species Pokémon. Mew danced playfully in the sky, until it danced out of sight over the horizon.

Following Mew were two massive birds. One was Lugia, the Diving Pokémon, and the other was Ho-oh, the Rainbow Pokémon. They fly at a breakneck pace, which was surprising for their humungous size. Ho-oh cawed loudly, while Lugia roared. Scarlett can't do anything but wince from the sound as she was holding Snivy.

Zooming after the large birds was a small green figure with bright blue eyes, happily calling out its name. It's Celebi, the Time Travel Pokémon.

A pair of red and blue streaked by, with the blue Pokémon slightly ahead. They were as fast as jet planes, and there was barely any time to make them out before they've disappeared from sight. They were Latias and Latios, the Eon Pokémon.

The next to fly by was a tiny white Pokémon with a yellow headdress and two yellow ribbons fluttering after it like wings. Three blue sticky notes were attached to its head. This Pokémon is Jirachi, the Wish Pokémon. It's odd that it was here, because according to an old legend, it only woke up for one week every thousand years.

After Jirachi, an orange and blue Pokémon whipped past the pair. It made an odd crackling noise, and had a pulsating gem at the centre of its chest. This was Deoxys, the DNA Pokémon, which was formed due to a mutation from an alien virus.

The next Pokémon crawled across the ground, its feet clamping tightly into the ground. Its dark red body emitted waves of heat, and the orange spots on its body were constantly in motion, imitating magma. Heatran was its name, and it was also known as the Lava Dome Pokémon.

A gigantic white robotic Pokémon with green plants on its shoulders and feet clomped heavily across the plains. The purple lightning flickered around it, making the glowing eyes on its chest alien-like. It's Regigigas, the Colossal Pokémon.

Following Regigigas closely was a Pokémon that levitated over the ground. It had a crescent-shaped ornament upon its head, and was bathed in soft pale light. It's Cresselia, the Lunar Pokémon. Its mere presence made Scarlett feel as if she was standing under a full moon.

Zipping to and fro was a nightmarish black Pokémon, whose malice was easily detected by Scarlett, even from where she was standing. It had a blood red collar and pure white hair, along with turquoise eyes that told many stories of suffering and pain. Scarlett recoiled a bit from it as she realized it was not the malevolent creature, but rather those who forced it to act in such a horrific way. This Pokémon's name was Darkrai, the Pitch-Black Pokémon.

Soaring with grace through the pitch black sky was a white Pokémon with green legs. It had half of a red flower on its neck. From the glint in its eyes, it's easy to see that this Pokémon was a warrior, and proud of the fact. It's Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon. This one was in its Sky Forme.

Coming in fast was a little orange Pokémon with ears shaped like a 'V'. It had big blue eyes and little angel wings on its back which flapped tirelessly to keep it up in the air. This little Legendary is Victini, the Victory Pokémon. Apparently it grants luck to those who touch its body through an energy it created.

In came a cream coloured Pokémon galloping at top speed. It had dark blue hooves, a light blue neck and tail, and its head was covered with orange hair sticking out in all directions. It's Keldeo, the Colt Pokémon.

Next was a Pokémon with long, flowing green hair. It appeared to wear a black dress with a green band around the waist. Its voice was mesmerizing and hauntingly beautiful. Scarlett found herself enraptured with its song. This lovely singer was Meloetta, the Aria Pokémon.

After Meloetta was a Pokémon that almost no one has heard about before. It wobbled about in mid-air but it was still graceful somehow. The Pokémon appeared to be made out of gray and pink rocks, like rock candy. It stared at Scarlett and Snivy with unrelenting magenta eyes, trying to warn them of something. Soon that unknown Pokémon disappeared over the horizon, just like all of the other Legendaries.

The pair waited and waited, but no more Legendaries came. Scarlett scoffed. This was ridiculous. If this is all she was supposed to 'behold', then it wasn't much, was it? Until all the Legendaries that she'd just seen suddenly appeared in front of her, waiting for something to happen.  
><em><br>But why are there Legendary Pokémon appearing in my dream? _Scarlett thought. _It's most irregular. And why is Snivy in my dream too?_ She gets the answers to her questions soon enough.

The most regal thing the pair had ever seen in their lives appeared in a blaze of light as bright as the sun. It was the most powerful being alive. Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. Behind it were three Pokémon that Scarlett did not recognize from any Pokédex or book.

One when looked at from the front made an 'X' with its antlers and front legs. It had a black body and a blue neck and head, with jewel coloured accent horns on its white antlers. Its dark blue eyes were filled with knowledge and understanding of things far beyond any human's comprehension. They clearly spoke, _I give Life._

Another was much like a phoenix, and its wings and tail made a shape like a 'Y'. Its body was bright red, with black squiggly lines upon it and it had claws on each of the ends of its tail and wings. The red Pokémon had piercing blue eyes that could see right through someone's being, and it sent a message as clear as day. _I am Destruction. Death is imminent._

The Pokémon in the middle of the mystery trio was snake-like, and it had a green tail and black upper body. Five frills fanned out from its neck, with each frill having 2 green hexagonal shapes in the middle. _I keep Order, and maintain the Balance between Life and Death._

Scarlett returned her attention to Arceus, who was tilting its head back and creating more of the blinding white light. She squinted, barely able to make out its body.  
><em><br>Scarlett Ketchum. Listen well._ Its booming voice reverberated in both Scarlett and Snivy's head; making it sound like three Arceus' were saying the same things, but each starting at a different time. _You are a very special girl._

Scarlett backed away from the imposing Legendaries. Snivy was once again trembling, with its eyes closed. Its hands were clenching Scarlett's pajamas tightly. "What in the world do you mean?"

_You have an extraordinary power, one that others can only wish for. A great evil is rising, and that evil seeks powers like yours to use to their tune._

"What is this 'power of mine?" she asked defiantly.

_How can you possibly not remember? You've used it enough in the past as a child. But I caution you. This power can be used for good and evil. You have to decide what's right or wrong.  
><em>  
>Scarlett doesn't remember using any power, unless you counted her ability to be able to connect with Pokémon almost instantly as a special power! "And what if I don't do anything at all?"<p>

Then all will perish and fall to the darkness. Control your power, and save the world!

All of the Legendaries were now chanting 'Save the world!'. It echoed loud and clear through the blackness of wherever the dream was taking place.

"No, stop it!" Scarlett shook her head. "Please stop shouting!" She clutched Snivy close to her chest and backed up more and more. But no matter how much she moved away from the Legendary Pokémon, their voices didn't die out.

_Protect the world with this special power! The power of- _Arceus never gets the chance to finish its sentence. Scarlett wakes up screaming, with her heart pounding loudly in her throat. Snivy's eyes snapped open, and due to the pale moonlight shining through the window, Scarlett is able to see it's staring at her intensely.

"We just had the same dream, didn't we?" she asked Snivy. It nodded its head slowly. "I have to tell mom." She gasped to Snivy, who didn't do anything. It was still in shock from the dream.

Scarlett tossed the rumpled blankets off of her and jumped out of her bed. She turned the doorknob quickly, and the door opened with a bang. Scarlett's Stoutland was still slumbering in the hallway that was only lit by a nightlight, but it jumped awake as she swept past it. It followed her, barking roughly.

When Scarlett stopped in front of her parent's room, she roughly slapped the door with the palm of her hand. "Mom! Mom! Please open the door! It's important! Wake up!"

There was a muffled groan, followed by a yawn. "Scarlett, the door is unlocked." Scarlett tried the handle, and the door swung open under her touch. It's as if the door could sense her urgency. She ran into the room, with Stoutland closely behind her.

"Mom, I had a nightmare!" she wailed, just like when she was seven years old. "It was terrifying!" She plopped herself down on the edge of her mom's bed.

Serena rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust her vision to accommodate the sudden light change. "A nightmare? It can't have been that bad."

"But it was, mom!" Scarlet exasperatedly cried. "Why else would I come to you? I dreamed that I was standing in a black space, while purple lightning flickered all around. One by one, Legendary Pokémon walked, flew, or ran from one side of the space to the other."

Serena's bright blue eyes widened, which was a sign that she was nervous. She started muttering something under her breath, but Scarlet didn't catch what she says, and continued.

"But that wasn't the weirdest part. After all of the Legendaries came and went, the Pokémon Arceus and three others I've never seen or heard of before in any Pokédex or book appeared."

"What did the Pokémon look like?" Serena yawned again, before sitting upright, prodding at Scarlett to continue.

"The one closest to the left was blue, and its antlers and front legs made a shape like an 'X'. The other one was red and shaped like a 'Y'. It gave off an aura of destruction and death. The final one was green and black, and had five frills coming out of its neck."

Serena gasped quietly. She knew exactly which Pokémon her daughter was talking about. "What happened next?"

"Arceus told me I had to save the world with a special power of mine and prevent others from using my power for evil."

"Keep going, Scarlett."

"And the most terrifying part of all, Snivy was in my dream too, and when we woke up, I asked Snivy if it had the same dream that I did. It nodded yes."

"I knew it. I knew this would happen." Serena stared at Scarlett with her round blue eyes, wishing it was only a nightmare. But it wasn't. It was a nightmare-come-to-life. "This is why I can't let you go on a journey. Bad things could happen, and you could get seriously hurt."

Scarlett returned the stare icily. "Mom. That was what happened on your journey with Dad, Clemont and Bonnie. It won't necessarily happen on my journey. I can take care of myself, and my friends and I will help each other, just like you did on your journey. And besides, what do you mean by 'I knew it'?"

At this, Serena closed her mouth and refused to explain. "I can't tell you."

"Why not? Why can't I? You know how much this means to me." This conversation was turning into the morning's argument, and neither party was getting anywhere.

"No means no, Scarlett! I can't let you go!" Serena shouted. The silence after was full of tension. Scarlett felt tears welling up in her eyes. Serena had never shouted at her before, not even when she was angry at Scarlett. Serena's hands went up to her mouth. "Scarlett, I didn't mean…"

Scarlett doesn't let her finish her sentence. She leapt out of her mom's room and raced back into hers, tears spilling out of her eyes for the second time that day. She jumped onto her bed, not bothering to slam the door, and broke down sobbing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Poor Scarlett. I do think Serena's just being a little too overprotective, don't you? It's not like Serena, Ash, Clemont and Bonnie had to fight Team Rocket all the time and try to prevent them from stealing Pokémon and save the world. Nope, not at all.<strong>

****LeoKnightus-Hollow- Thanks again for reviewing! Let's just say that the stories may have made Scarlett want to fight the bad guys and make them blast off, too. ;)****

**Notes/Questions to Consider:  
>1. Why doesn't Scarlett know about her Aura powers? Was something intentionally blocking her memories, or could she just not remember?<br>2. Arceus sure likes dramatic entrances! ;p Will it appear again, in a fashion even more dramatic than this one?**

**Expect the next update in a week. (I may be a bit shorter or longer!)  
><strong>

**And of course, I welcome reviews! Please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	6. I'm Outta Here!

**AN: Hurray for a fast update! This update will be the last of the really fast ones until the summer rolls** **around!**

Update: This chapter is the final one to be changed from 1st person present tense to 3rd person past tense. Chapter 5 will be in 3rd person past tense!**  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, as I've stated multiple times before. I own only the story idea and the OCs.**

* * *

><p>Sometime early in the morning, Scarlett woke up. It's clearly not night time anymore because a faint light was shining through the window, casting many shadows into Scarlett's neat and tidy bedroom. It was almost dawn, around five o'clock in the morning.<p>

Scarlett turned her head to the door and found that it was closed. She shook her head, finding it very odd that it happened, before realizing Stoutland and Snivy must have had something to do with it. She was very glad that her mom hadn't tried to apologize, as Scarlett felt that nothing she would have said would have made anything better.

She swung her legs over the bed, and touched something soft and furry. "Stoutland?"

Her Stoutland shifted a bit, and let out a low growl. Scarlett smiled at her old buddy's loyalty. She's had it since it was a tiny Lillipup, abandoned in the forest until her dad found it and brought it home. When he told her what had happened to the Lillipup, Scarlett vowed to help make it big and strong, and to make it not scared of humans anymore.

Scarlett slipped out of her bed, and sat upright against Stoutland. Stoutland huffed lightly and being leaned against like a pillow, but honestly it didn't mind one bit. "Stoutland, I've been wondering. It must be something really big if my Mom won't let me go on a journey with my best friends. She was really nervous when I told her about my dream. Maybe it has something to do with the 'power' that Arceus said I had?" Even though Stoutland said nothing in reply, Scarlett knew it was listening intently and analyzing what she'd just said. Stoutland were very wise Pokémon, after all.

"Maybe I should just start my journey now." Stoutland's ears pricked up, and it shook out its thick, shiny fur. It wasn't sure what it thought of Scarlett's latest idea. "You know, like run away from home. I know I probably shouldn't do it, but…" Scarlett hugged her knees, and slowly rocked back and forth. "I feel that this is something I have to do. This thirst for adventure is in my blood."

Stoutland growled again, but this time it wasn't a growl of disapproval, but rather one of agreement.

Something crawled onto Scarlett's head. She reached up, and stroked it gently. "Snivy? What do you think? You're my partner now, and this concerns both of us."

Snivy slid off her head and into Scarlett's outstretched arms. It peered at her with its warm brown eyes. "Snivy, Snivy, Snivy!" Snivy pointed at Scarlett while saying this, indicating Scarlett matters the most.

"You think… I should decide what's right?" She asked it hesitantly. "Even if my Mom says no, my thoughts are what matter the most?"

The smart Grass type nodded curtly. It really was known for its intelligence.

"Alright then." Scarlett stood up, having reached her final decision that would forever change her life.. "I'm starting my journey today!" she declared determinedly. "And no one's stopping me!" Snivy showed its agreement by smiling. Stoutland barked once, before standing up and moving to different spot in the room where it wouldn't be disturbed. It could be very choosy about where it wanted to sleep.

Scarlett couldn't stand these pointless arguments anymore. She felt that today her mom pretty much pushed all of the intolerance levers to the maximum. She'd much rather travel Unova with her friends and be severely punished later when she returned home than to never be able to get out of Nuvema Town until she flew the coop. She wanted to prove her mom wrong, and she would do her best in the Unova League!

But before anything, she'd have to pack. She walked over to her night table and took out the backpack her dad gave her as a tenth birthday present in preparation for a journey. She's never had the chance to use it, as her mom had forbidden her from going on a journey that year.

Scarlett took out a list, and read it to make sure she'd remember to pack all that she's agreed to pack for the group. Milo would bring the utensils for eating and cooking and food, while Teresa would bring the pots and pans. Scarlett was in charge of bringing more food, a cookbook, and a first aid kit.

Scarlett rushed around her room, tossing the things she needed to pack onto her bed. Snivy had a fun time dodging everything that she tossed, as well as organizing the pile with its Vine Whip. By the time she found everything, her bed had neat piles of stuff organized into clothing, useful things and others. Her drawers are considerably lighter and a lot messier than before.

She has a bit of trouble fitting everything into the backpack, but with Snivy's Vine Whip again, she manages to do it. In the end, the only thing that didn't fit was her sleeping, so she rolled it up tight and tied it to the front of her backpack.

"Whew!" she let out a deep breath and stepped back from her bed. Snivy wiped its forehead with a vine, and sighed in relief. "That's been taken care of. All I need is a Pokédex and some empty Poké Balls. And I'll need to choose an outfit."

She went back to the clothes drawer, and raked through it, looking for something she could wear. She found a white tank top, a light green and short- sleeved scoop neckline shirt and a pair of jeans.

Snivy looked away as she changed into the outfit she'd chosen. When Scarlett finished changing, she tapped Snivy's head and showed Snivy her outfit, asking for its opinion. Snivy nodded in approval. It would do for now.

Scarlett pulled out a pair of running shoes, and clipped on her fanny pack with the PokéNav she got after her dad traveled back from the Hoenn Region inside it. This was it. She's really starting her journey!

She hugged Stoutland one last time, as a long time ago she decided that she wouldn't take Stoutland with her. It was a powerful battler with a great moveset, but preferred to stay close to home. "Take care of my mom for me, please." She whispered into its thick fur. She wasn't completely heartless. A flick of its ears told her it would do its best.

She straightened up, and returned Snivy to its Poké Ball. "I've got to sneak out by myself. Two might make too much noise. I promise I'll let you out when Milo and Teresa arrive at Professor Juniper's lab."

She eased the bedroom door open, and closed it again quietly. Without a peep, she tiptoed downstairs and out of the back door, grabbing a house key on her way out. Everyone in her family had a copy of the key, for emergencies.

The night breeze hit her face, and she gazed upwards contently. It was so peaceful that Scarlett could have lain down on the ground and fallen asleep. But she couldn't do that, or risk being caught by Serena.

The garden was specially designed for all of her dad's Pokémon when they'd moved to Nuvema Town. Right now, they're all sleeping, but she had to say goodbye to one that was very special to her before she could leave. Scarlett treaded on gravel cautiously, as her mom's room overlooked the garden. She stopped once she reached the pond. The Pokémon she's looking for was there, floating on its back in the water. Gentle snores escaped from its half-open mouth. It's Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon. It was one of the only un-evolved Pokémon Ash had, other than Pikachu and Bulbasaur, to name a few notable ones.

Scarlett gently rested her hand on its head. "Hey Buizel. I'm leaving on my journey today, and I'm not taking you with me. I know you'll be upset, but I have to do this on my own, without an experienced Pokémon helping me. I hope you'll understand. Goodbye, my friend. I'll see you when I get back."

The final thing she had to do: call her friends and let them know the situation. Pulling out her PokéGear, she dialed Milo and Teresa's numbers for a three-way call. A few seconds later, their faces showed up on the glowing screen. Milo's hair was mussed up and sticking out at all angles, while Teresa was in the middle of a yawn.

Milo started to ask what Scarlett was doing calling them at such an early hour, but Scarlet raised a finger to her lips, signalling for Milo to let her speak first. "We're leaving today, right now. Meet me at the Professor's Lab in 15 minutes."

Teresa gasped. "Did you get permission? Why are you calling this early in the morning?"

"I'll tell you at the Lab. See you there." She hung up on both of them and winced. Her friends were feeling pretty confused, and she could only hope they'd shake off their confusion and meet her there.

She said one last goodbye to Dad's Pokémon, and swung the gate open. She took one last look in the garden before closing the gate and bolting it shut.

* * *

><p>Throwing her bike onto the grass, Scarlett jumped up the steps of the research facility. The automatic doors opened and she walked in, calling out, "Hello? Professor Juniper? Is anyone there?"<p>

While waiting for a response, she unzipped her fanny pack and took out the only Poké Ball residing within it; Snivy's. She let Snivy out and grinned. "See? I told you I'd let you out when we arrived."

Snivy shrugged, already knowing Scarlett wouldn't have lied to it and tapped its feet impatiently.

"Who's there?" echoed through the hallway, and she froze, hoping it was the professor and not one of her assistants, namely Bianca. The woman just couldn't keep her mouth shut, and she wasn't very subtle at all. While Scarlett loved Bianca as an aunt and friend, she couldn't help but feel exasperated whenever she bumped her father into a fountain or stream.

"Um, I'm not an intruder!" Scarlett called back. "I'm here to receive my Pokédex!"

There was a shuffling noise, and Scarlett and Snivy saw the shadow of a woman. "Scarlett? Hello there!" Scarlett sighed in relief. It was the professor. She approached slowly, stretching her arms, and when she saw Snivy standing by Scarlett's feet, smiled brightly at it. "And how are you doing, Snivy?"

Snivy gave a satisfactory nod. "Snivy Snivy!"

Professor Juniper laughed, her voice ringing out like a bell. "Well, that's good! But Scarlett, what are you doing so early in the morning?" The professor yawned loudly. Clearly she wasn't sleeping. She was probably doing research or lab work before Scarlett interrupted.

"I'm here to get my Pokédex and Poké Balls." Scarlett declared. Snivy proudly stuck its snout in the air.

"Is that so?" Professor Juniper's eyebrows rose up to her hairline in disbelief. "Since there's no way Serena would have said yes, I assume you ran away, didn't you?"

"Please don't rat me out! I couldn't bear to be grounded for the rest of my life!" Scarlett pleaded while raising her hands up in surrender. Snivy protested loudly as well by waving its hands wildly and shouting its displeasure at the idea.

The Professor rubbed her chin in thought. "Well…"

Scarlett lowered her arms and crossed her fingers behind her back. _Please, please, please don't tell my Mom._

Professor Juniper sighed. "I wouldn't dream of crushing a young trainer's ambition. I thought you might do something like this after I talked to your mom last night.."

"You did?" Scarlet asked in shock.

"Indeed. And I do know why she won't let you go, but I'm not telling you. Don't try to beg it out of me, because it won't work. I think you're perfectly capable of handling any situation working together with your Pokémon and friends. You'll be fine."

Scarlett stood in utter shock. _The professor was approving of me starting a journey without permission from my mom? _She couldn't believe it.

The professor reached into her lab coat pocket and drew out a Pokédex. "It's time for you to get out there and explore. Grow a bit. Form close bonds with your friends- and your Pokémon." Professor Juniper handed her the Pokédex, beaming.

Scarlett took the Pokédex, very excited. "Thank you so much, Professor!"

"You're welcome, Scarlett. Take good care of Snivy." Scarlett heard a sliding sound, and Professor Juniper's head turned toward the automatic doors. Whirling around, Scarlett saw her friends standing just outside of the lab. Milo had his hands in his jacket pockets, and Teresa could barely stand still. She was too excited.

Scarlett returned Snivy to its Poké Ball, and ran to her friends and said excitedly, "What are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!"

Milo stuck a hand out for a high-five and Teresa shouted, "Yeah!"

The young Trainers all rushed outside, eager to get started. Professor Juniper looked on from inside the lab. Just before the group went down the dirt path which would merge into Unova Route 1, Scarlett glanced behind her shoulder. "Hey Professor!" She waved an arm . "Take care of our bikes, will you?"

The professor gave Scarlett double thumbs up. "I will! I needed a bike anyways! Good luck on your journey!"

"Will do!" Milo yelled. They all waved one last time before turning forward, ready to begin their adventure and to create memories to last a lifetime.

* * *

><p>They stopped on the road sometime after sunrise to check their supplies and if everyone remembered to bring what they were supposed to bring.<p>

Scarlett had brought everything, and so had Teresa, but Milo only brought the eating utensils. He had forgotten the cooking utensils!

"Milo!" Scarlett scolded him as if he were a puppy who had disobeyed it's master, wagging a finger at him. "We prepared packing lists way ahead of time! How come you didn't check off what you'd packed?"

Milo spread his hands in defeat. "I was tired, all right? Don't blame me for my mistake!"

Scarlett blew her bangs out of her eyes. "We still don't have cooking utensils! How do I make soup without a ladle? Do you want to starve?"

Milo began to protest that it wasn't his fault, but was cut off by Teresa. "At least there's one organized person around here." She was obviously implying that it's her. Teresa dug around in her backpack, and produced a small box. She opened it up, and Milo and Scarlett peered into its depths.

"What? You packed cooking utensils?" Milo pointed at Teresa in astonishment.

Teresa reached over and flicked Milo's nose. Milo cried out, startled, and he rubbed his nose remorsefully.

"I just knew that you'd forget to pack cooking utensils," she winked at him before shoving the box back into her bag. She hoisted the bag onto her back. "Let's keep going!"

"Hey Scarlett?" Milo whispered. "Why did we start out journey so early in the morning?"

Scarlett scratched her head. "Heh, it's a long story."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, this chapter is a bit short, but now is where the excitement truly begins! Next update in a week or 2 weeks.<br>**  
><em><strong>NotesQuestions to Consider:**_  
><em><strong>1. Professor Juniper can be pretty scatterbrained at times.<strong>_  
><em><strong>2. Scarlett's pretty irresponsible for running away with her friends to start their journey. Is this similar to Ash's personality in any way?<strong>_

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>

*****  
><span>Below is from a AN I had to post due to some changes:<span>  
>After re-reading the first and second prologues, I've decided I need to slightly alter a few things in them and make them more detailed. These changes will not affect the rest of the story in any way, but I feel the need to do this.<br>****  
>Also, I'm thinking of changing the story to a 3rd person perspective. It'll let me write in more detail, and it'll serve as a challenge to myself as while I'm not necessarily bad writing in 3rd person, I'm not used to it.<strong>

***Additional Note*: My teachers always told me, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Some people just don't understand what it's like to be an author and to have others read their words. _Will the readers like it? If they don't like it, how will they respond?_ I am one of the people who accepts and will graciously take constructive criticism.**

**_I will not tolerate any snide or rude remarks ever._ _I will look down on you if you swear in a comment._**

**Respect me, and I'll respect you. Otherwise, you'll be tossed by me where you deserve. In the trash bin and buried in a landfill. ****If you say something nasty, I bet you wouldn't have the guts to say it to me in real life. And if you did, I'd slap you where it hurts.**

**Thanks. (I had to put this in because of one such a comment. I know that most people on here wouldn't, and would help others improve instead of filling the comments section with crap. To said person, I didn't remove it because I'm a coward. I removed it because there's no need for profanity. You could have said my story sucked like crap. Besides, you've only read the first prologue. I'm pretty sure you didn't bother continuing, as you thought the rest of my story was just like that. Well, guess what? You're WRONG! :P)**


	7. A Meeting of Times

**AN: 'Lo, there, everyone! I'm back (finally)!**

**Yes, I was definitely longer than I said I was going to be, but I hope this chapter is worth it! Onto the 'Road'!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Pokémon-esque, as stated previously many times. I own only the story plot and my characters.**

* * *

><p>The group had been wandering around on a forest path for merely a few hours, but the heat made it feel like days. The sun beat down on the baked earth, but thankfully its rays were masked by the lush canopy of the forest, providing the cool relief of shade for its inhabitants.<p>

"Whew!" Milo slumped over in exhaustion. He had been hesitant about leaving his bike behind, as it meant it would take a longer time to get to all the gyms. But Teresa was adamant; she wanted all of them to get some exercise. "Where in Mew's name are we, anyway? Are we even on Unova's Route 1?"

Milo prompted Scarlett to pull out her PokéNav. She turned on the navigational device, but found that the screen was fuzzy around the edges, and all of the information was old. There were interference waves from another source, which prevented the device from scanning the area. Scarlett shook her head. "Something's blocking the signal waves. I'm not getting anything about the current state of this road. All of it is outdated information. My dad bought it 5 years ago, and it didn't have much on Unova anyway, seeing as it was from the Hoenn region."

Teresa tilted her head skyward and shouted, "I can't deal with this! We don't have a map! I thought that a PokéNav would be reliable enough."

They all sighed heavily, and sat down in the middle of the dirt road. A cloud of dry dust sprung up around them, causing Teresa and Scarlett to wave their hands around their faces, trying to keep dirt out of their noses.

"Now what?" Milo groaned, putting his head in his hands. He hadn't expected the first leg of their journey to involve getting lost. "We don't have a map, or a working PokéNav, or any sense of direction. We're lost in the wilderness!"

Teresa gasped when a sudden thought entered her head. "What if a large Pokémon came out of the forest and ate us?"

"Don't say that, Teresa." Scarlett reprimanded her. Scarlett didn't want to think in such a negative way. "That's not helping with our situation."

Teresa nervously bit her lip. "You're right. We have to stay positive."

It wasn't easy to do so. Teresa jumped at every falling leaf and every movement in the shade. Milo kept groaning about how they'd never reach Accumula Town. Scarlett was about to explode from the tension her friends were stirring up. Teresa was scaring her silly while Milo was grating on her nerves. She stood up, and announced in a loud voice, "I'm scouting ahead. Don't move from where you are. I'll be back."

There wasn't an answer from her friends, but Scarlett still got up, and walked further down the path. The truth was that Scarlett had seen something shiny from the corner of her eye, and she was curious. What‒other than a Pokémon‒could shine so bright in a dark forest?

She scanned her surroundings, trying to catch a glimpse of the shimmer again. There was nothing to the left of her, and she turned to the right. A beam of sunlight hit a bush off way off of the right side of the road, causing a multitude of colour and sparkle. That must have been what had caught her attention.

Scarlett made her way over to the bush, carefully stepping over the thick underbrush, trying her best to not get her feet and ankles tangled up in the bracken and fern mess that made up the forest floor. The floor felt squishy, like something had rotted, but she nonetheless made it over to the bush.

The shiny object that had attracted her attention was not a Pokémon, but was instead a few wires and scraps of metal that had been crumpled. They were in a small heap outside of the bush.

Scarlett picked up a scrap of metal, and turned it over in her hand, silently wondering why random pieces of metal were hanging around in a forest. She noticed that there were strange markings on the metal, swirls and jagged lines.

There was a faint rustling in the bushes, and a growl, warning her not to come any closer. Scarlett froze, wondering if it was a Scolipede. Until the bush let out a whimper of pain, and Scarlett, out of curiosity, bent down and pushed the thick branches of the bush apart. She gasped, shocked by what she saw. There was indeed a Pokémon, but this Pokémon was practically non-existent in the Unova Region.

The Pokémon growled threateningly while clutching its left shoulder. Bright red blood seeped through its paw, and there were bad scrapes on its knees.

Scarlett slowly sat on the damp floor, careful not to frighten it. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

The small blue Pokémon bared its teeth. _Leave me alone! Get away from me!_

Scarlett's eyebrows rose to her hairline. She wasn't expecting a Pokémon that could talk, but she decided not to mention this fact to the Pokémon. "You're hurt badly. Please let me help you."

The Pokémon viciously snarled, and with much trouble, scrambled back deeper into the bush, trying to conceal itself. _I don't trust humans. I told you to leave me alone!_

Scarlett crawled closer to the Pokémon, while the Pokémon inched backwards. "Why don't you trust humans?"

_They did this to me! Now get out of here and leave me alone!_ The Pokémon glared with all its might, wishing this human girl would leave. After what happened to it, it swore to never trust a human again. It was in so much pain after what they did to it…

"You listen to me," Scarlett stopped moving forward and frowned at the stubborn Pokémon. She didn't want to frighten it, but she certainly wanted to help. If those wounds got infected, the Pokémon could be crippled forever. "I would never hurt a Pokémon, especially one that's already hurt. You need medical attention."

_Prove that you won't hurt me,_ the Pokémon's red eyes stared Scarlett down, trying to edge out a lie. Scarlett was not intimidated by the Pokémon's tough act.

"I swear on Arceus' name that I will not hurt you. Now will you please trust me?" Scarlett held out a hand to the Pokémon, mentally willing it to trust her.

The Pokémon's eyes widened in disbelief, until it realized that the girl wasn't lying at all. One cannot swear upon Arceus' name without consequences, unless one truly meant what they said. It cautiously shuffled closer to Scarlett's outstretched hand. Its paw weakly grabbed her hand, and Scarlett smiled. "See? I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help." Scarlett scooped the injured Pokémon into her arms.

The Pokémon's tense muscles relaxed for the first time in days. It gazed into Scarlett's emerald orbs with respect and trust and closed its eyes. It was absolutely exhausted. The last few days had been hectic. It had gone from being a free spirit to being trapped in a cage, to being experimented on, to free once again. It had used up much of its energy just getting out of the cage and transport truck. When it couldn't run anymore, it had collapsed in a bush. Its knees were scraped from falling down a lot while running, and its shoulder wound was acquired through a flying metal shard.

Scarlett called out, "Teresa! Milo! Get yourselves over here this instant!"

There was a moan that Scarlett assumed was from Milo, a few spoken words from Teresa, and then there were footsteps pounding into the ground, urgently coming towards the pair.

When the injured blue Pokémon heard the multiple footsteps heading in their direction, its eyes snapped open in a panic. Flailing its good arm dramatically, it shouted, _Who are they? Get them to leave!_ It winced when it pulled its shoulder slightly, and the wound's scab began to peel off. Blood spurted everywhere, and Scarlett hastily pulled a spare handkerchief out of her fanny pack. She dabbed gently at the wound, before pressing the cloth on with pressure to stop the bleeding. The Pokémon hissed, but soon settled down once more.

Teresa curiously looked at Scarlett's back, wondering what in the world she was doing holding a bloody handkerchief. "Scarlett? What's wrong?"

The Pokémon shrieked in terror. _Don't let them near me!_ It clenched Scarlett's arm in fear, pleading with its eyes for Scarlett to sort the ruffians out.

"It's all right. They won't hurt you either. Their names are Teresa and Milo, and they're my best friends."

The Pokémon relaxed visibly at this, but it still trembled lightly. Scarlett turned around, holding the injured Pokémon like a precious baby, with the handkerchief pressed firmly against its shoulder wound.

Teresa's jaw dropped a mile, while Milo swallowed painfully, hoping the wounded Pokémon was okay.

"Scarlett!" Teresa gasped out. "Where did you find that Pokémon? It's not native to Unova!"

"It was injured, and hiding from people in that bush," Scarlett kicked in the offending bush's general direction as her hands weren't free. "I had to help it."

Milo suddenly went as stiff as a board as he realized what Pokémon Scarlett was holding. "Scarlett, is that a Riolu?"

Teresa's eyes became as wide as a Hoothoot's. "That's a Sinnoh Pokémon!"

Scarlett simply replied, "I know that." She knelt down on the ground with the Riolu in her arms, and tied the handkerchief onto the wound. She held Riolu up on her knees while she unzipped her fanny pack and pulled out the sleek and upgraded model of the Unova Pokédex version 3.2.

She held it to Riolu's body, and waited for the Pokédex to do a scan. With a _bleep_, the Pokédex turned on, and it said in a robotic male voice, "Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. It uses the shapes of auras, which change according to emotion, to communicate with others." Based on the Pokédex entry, Scarlett decided that must have been how Riolu was able to talk to her.

"Riolu, we need to get you to the Pokémon Centre in Accumula Town, so you can heal." Teresa took a few steps closer to the Pokémon. This time, Riolu didn't flinch. However, it shook its head violently, not wanting to do such a thing. _I'll never go there! You can't make me!_

There was no reply at all from Teresa, which Scarlett took as a sign that only she could hear what Riolu was saying. She told her friend, "Teresa, Riolu doesn't want to go. It doesn't trust humans."

Teresa clenched her teeth in frustration. "But you have to! You're hurt, and Nurse Joy will help you get better. She'd never hurt any Pokémon."

_Scarlett told you I don't trust humans! _Riolu twisted its head away from Teresa, not wanting to speak with the girl who just wanted to help it.

Scarlett thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to scare the Fighting type anymore than she had to, and forcing it to go to a Pokémon Centre wouldn't help her succeed in doing that. It suddenly dawned on her that Riolu didn't have to go to a Pokémon Centre to be healed. "No, I will not force Riolu to go to a Pokémon Centre. Besides, we're lost in this forest, and we don't know how to get out of it. The best course of action is to make camp for the night."

"But what about Riolu's wounds?" asked Milo worriedly. He didn't want them to get infected, but Scarlett continued speaking.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Scarlett waved off her friend's concern like she was waving an irritating fly out of her face. "Just make camp for the night. I think that hollow over there will do." She motioned at a clearing off of the main dirt path. "Milo, go collect some dry wood and twigs. Teresa, set up the cooking supplies. I'll take care of the rest."

With confused glances at each other, Milo and Teresa wandered off to do Scarlett's bidding. They had no idea what Scarlett had up her sleeves.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, a fire rose into the sky, illuminating the trees and casting long shadows everywhere. Gray smoke curled from the top of the roaring fire, and the fire crackled merrily. The sunset had brought a soothing night breeze along with it, and all the inhabitants of the forest were thankful that the heat was over.<p>

Milo was patting his full stomach and complementing Scarlett and Teresa's soup. Teresa was clearing away the dirty dishes. She gave a light kick every so often to Milo's back, wanting him to get his lazy butt off the log and help her as well. Milo had no intention of doing so.

Tepig and Oshawott were having a bit of fun, each daring the other to go as close as it could to the fire. Tepig managed to step right into the fire without squealing in pain, while Oshawott was a bit too Torchic, even though it was a Water type. Snivy watched from the side, disapproving of their game. It would have gotten burned badly anyways, had it decided to play along.

Scarlett was busily attending to Riolu, making sure it was comfortable in her sleeping bag‒which she had warmed up by lying on it while eating dinner‒hand-feeding it leftover soup and Pokémon food, and fretting over its bandages. Riolu quite enjoyed being fussed over, which hadn't happened to it for a long time.

Teresa looked over her shoulder while washing the bowls. It wasn't the most brilliant of ideas as the water sloshed all over her shirt and pants, and she mentally scolded herself for letting that happen. "Hey, Scarlett? When are you going to deploy your brilliant plan to heal Riolu?"

Scarlett held her right hand up to stop Teresa's further questions. "Riolu has to be settled in first. It should be relaxed."

Riolu poked at Scarlett's arm. _I'm very settled in!_

"Are you? Well that's good. Let's get started, then!" Scarlett sat down on her sleeping bag. "Snivy! Could you come here, please?"

Snivy raised its head, wondering what Scarlett wanted it to help with. It decided that it was better to help Scarlett than to watch those fools get burned in the campfire. Snivy scampered over to Scarlett, and hopped onto the girl's lap. "Snivy?"

"Snivy, I'm going to ask you a big favour. Could you use your Aromatherapy to heal Riolu like you did with me?" Scarlett picked Snivy up out of her lap, and set it down beside Riolu's head. Riolu and Snivy eyed each other cautiously, not knowing what to make of the other.

_You look funny_, Riolu grinned before cackling madly with laughter. _Like a snake on legs. _Scarlett covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a chuckle. She couldn't help but giggle at the accurateness of Riolu's description of Snivy.

Snivy crossed its tiny arms, not amused at all. "Snivy Snivy! Snivy Snivy, Snivy." The mature Grass Snake stuck out its tongue, and cast a hopeful look at Scarlett, which Scarlett interpreted as, 'Do I have to heal that jerk?'

"As a favour for me, Snivy? Please?" Scarlett clasped her hands in front of her face, and widened her eyes.

Snivy relented reluctantly, not wanting to disappoint its Trainer. It closed its eyes and began to glow a warm spring green. The green light peeled off of Snivy in waves, and they spread outwards, hitting everything within a ten metre radius of the Grass type. Tepig and Oshawott stopped running around the fire, and Milo slumped backwards on the log and fell asleep. Teresa and Scarlett's eyelids drooped in peaceful exhaustion.

Riolu's shoulder wound began to seal up, and the scabs faded away, leaving only a small scar. Blue fur grew to hide the faint jagged scar, and soon its shoulder looked as good as new. Its knees healed too, the fleshy scrapes closing to leave no evidence of them ever existing. Riolu sighed contently, as the stinging pain it had felt only moments before were gone. _Perhaps you aren't so stuck-up after all. Thanks, snake-on-legs._

Snivy proudly stuck its pointy nose in the air, though it still wasn't too pleased at being called a snake-on-legs. The green light faded, along with the sense of peace. Milo snapped awake immediately, while Teresa opened her eyes and yawned, tired from the day's events.

"Oh, Riolu. Don't call Snivy a snake-on-legs," Scarlett shook her head at the Riolu that was now peacefully resting. "It's not nice to tease your saviour."

Teresa and Milo were both startled by Scarlett as she seemed to be conversing with a Pokémon who never said anything. They didn't know only she could hear Riolu's voice.

Snivy nodded in agreement, and curled up on a coil on Scarlett's sleeping bag, on the other side of Riolu. When Tepig and Oshawott saw their pal sleeping, they joined it too on the sleeping bag, effectively leaving no space at all for Scarlett. She didn't mind too much, as she had brought a blanket. And there would have to be sacrifices.

"Milo, I hope you won't mind," Scarlett smiled sweetly at Milo, who was stretching his arms into the air.

"Huh? Mind what?" Milo said this a bit too late, as Scarlett had already crawled into his sleeping bag. When Teresa saw this, she jumped into action, not wanting her sleeping bag stolen by him. She unrolled her sleeping bag with an expert snap of her wrist, and slid in like an Arbok.

Milo threw his hands up in the hair in resignation. "Ah, come on, ladies! What about me?"

Scarlett peeked out from the sleeping bag, and shared a look with Teresa. "Well, you know the saying, Milo."

"Ladies first," Teresa finished with finesse. If she and Scarlett were close enough, they would have shared a high-five.

Milo was very disappointed, and his face drooped. Scarlett and Teresa burst out laughing. "That's not fair!" he complained, not that it was going to get him anywhere.

"Take the spare blanket I brought." Scarlett wormed an arm out and handed him the blanket. "It's summertime. It shouldn't get too cold at night."

With much grumbling, Milo laid the blanket on the ground, and wrapped it around himself, using his arm as a pillow.

"You were being lazy. You didn't help cook, or clean up afterwards. Be more considerate next time." Teresa deviously smiled from within the depths of the sleeping bag. "Let this be a lesson to you. Karma bites."

The Pokémon in and on Scarlett's sleeping bag snickered with glee. It was as if they had planned this all along.

* * *

><p>The grass was so thick that it felt almost like a carpet. The breeze ruffled the blades of grass, moving them in unison and creating the illusion of the roiling waves of the ocean.<p>

The sun sparkled in the pale blue sky, beaming down upon a small Pokémon, who had its eyes closed and was smiling in contentment as it sunbathed.

There was a call in the distance, and the Pokémon answered with its own call. The Pokémon prepared to run to the voice, but suddenly, a cage fell out of the sky. The Pokémon gave a startled cry, and began shaking on the bars of the cage, trying to break free, to no avail.

Shadowed faces appeared in front of the cage, and began talking. The Pokémon didn't catch all of it, but it did hear a few words that it understood. "Experiment", "Test," and "Special" were the words it heard repeated over and over again. It didn't understand why it was being captured. The cage was lifted jerkily into the air, and the Pokémon clung on to the bars desperately to avoid falling flat on the floor of the cage. Its head snapped to the right when it heard the voice calling for it again, but the Pokémon was helpless as the back of the truck closed, slamming shut and depriving the Pokémon of the warm sunshine.

The Pokémon circled around in the cage, squinting to try and gather enough light to make out its surroundings. It didn't see anything as the interior of the truck was too dark, but it heard other cries of distress, and the shuffling of bodies and feet.

A sudden jolt on the road threw the Pokémon off balance, and it landed on the metal floor with a thud. It didn't make a sound, but it hugged its knees in the corner of the cage and squeezed its eyes shut, hoping this was only a nightmare.

It seemed to be an eternity, but the truck ground to a sudden halt. The Pokémon was jerked from the corner and tossed into the middle of the cage ruthlessly. It groaned, having hit its head off the hard bottom of the cage, and winced as the truck's back was raised. White light flooded into the ever widening crack, until the Pokémon could make out the exterior of the truck. Outside of the truck was spotlessly white and unnatural. The Pokémon scrabbled for footing as its cage was lifted out of the truck, along with the other Pokémon's cages. They were deposited in a line along the truck's side, and figures drowning in white lab coats swept in front of the cages, examining and taking notes of the occupants within.

The Pokémon's cage dropped down with a clang, and it apprehensively took in the sight in front of its eyes.

A tall figure loomed over its cage, causing the Pokémon to shudder in fright. "Are you sure this is it? The one we've been looking for?" The man asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, this is the one. I'm quite sure he'll be pleased with it. Oh, they are so rare in Unova, we were lucky to find even one." Another crisp and formal voice replied, pen rapidly scrawling across her clipboard.

"You're right about that. We are one step closer to unlocking the ultimate secret." The man laughed, and peered at the terrified Pokémon's face. "Soon, we will change the world for the better, and you will be an instrumental part of the change."

The woman with the clipboard snapped, "Take this one away to the Admissions Chamber."

Another man readied a machine that fork-lifted the heavy metal cage up. The Pokémon couldn't move at all. It was paralyzed with fear.

The machine was then driven down an endless hallway. The Pokémon didn't move one bit, not even when the machine stopped and the cage was moved to the interior of a room.

The door of the cage opened with a creaking sound, and the Pokémon was roughly taken out of the cage and strapped to a table. The Pokémon's red eyes rolled back from all of the traumatic stress, and it slipped into unconsciousness. But before the Pokémon's world turned pitch black, it swore upon Arceus' name that it would not to trust humans ever again.

It didn't really know what happened next, but it woke up hours later, back in the same cage it had been captured in. Now there was a tag around its neck, identifying the Pokémon.

The Pokémon weakly attempted to pull the metal tag off, but it couldn't, as the tag had been tied on rather tightly.

Surrounding it were other Pokémon also in a cage. They refused to answer the Pokémon's questions about the place. Some shook their heads, others whimpered in despair, and even others didn't respond at all, but instead kept staring straight ahead. Eventually, it just gave up trying to find answers, and formulated a plan to get out of the place.

Luck was on its side, as soon it was transported out from the holding room and into another, even larger truck. Humans in stark white lab coats flocked around the cage, taking even more notes. Some filled the cage with blinding flashes that came from a small device in their hands.

But this time, instead of sniveling, the Pokémon gathered every ounce of courage it had and stood tall and proud, casting a defiant glare at anyone who dared to look it in the eye. It was tired of hiding and shying away from its captors.

The people slowly dispersed, and the hatch of the truck closed. Instead of it going black inside, automatic yellow lights switched on, allowing the Pokémon to see the inside of the truck.  
>It cracked its knuckles in anticipation as the truck began rolling out. It planned to blast the cage open somewhere along the road by using one of the attacks its father taught it.<p>

It counted to three hundred before gathering all the energy it had left, and summoning that energy to its palm. It walked up to the cage door, and pressed its palm against it. When the Pokémon deemed the energy level sufficient, it unleashed the energy in a single, powerful beam.

The cage and the back of the truck were ripped apart, as if they were made of flimsy paper. Metal shards flew everywhere, and one struck the Pokémon in its left shoulder. The Pokémon howled in pain, and red blood trickled out of the freshly made wound. It tore the metal bit out of its shoulder, and while clutching its shoulder to stem the blood flow, made a flying leap for the opening in the back of the truck.

The truck screeched to a sudden halt, and doors opened in the front. "Hey! Where'd it go?"

Two men stepped out of the truck, and inspected the blast hole in the back. The taller and thinner of the two men screeched "You idiot! It escaped! You shouldn't have turned on those lights!" The man then conked the driver over the head with a fist. "The boss wouldn't want such a precious specimen to escape! After it!"

The two men sprinted after the retreating figure of the Pokémon. It cast a nervous look over its shoulder, and it began running faster once it noticed the men running after it.

They chased it deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest. The branches were covered in thick leaves, effectively blocking out most of the sunlight. The sides of the road were covered with low-lying shrubs and bushes.

The Pokémon was tiring quickly, and it searched for a suitable hiding place. Spotting a really big bush, the Pokémon darted off the main path, and dived under. It held its breath, hoping its captors wouldn't spot the rustling of the bushes.

Luck once again graced the Pokémon, as the men mistook the rustling of the bush to be from the wind. They kept running, assuming the Pokémon was still going in the same direction.

Once the footsteps faded away, the Pokémon let out its breath, and relaxed. It winced from the pain in its shoulder wound, which was still openly bleeding. It looked around inside the bush for a possible binding material, but there was none to be found.

The Pokémon's ears pricked up, as it heard fast-paced footsteps. It froze as a white shadow approached its hiding place, covering the minimal light seeping through the branches of the bush. It growled low in its throat, hoping to scare the shadow away. The shadow merely moved closer, and a hand reached through the bush…

* * *

><p>Scarlett woke up with a start, clutching Milo's sleeping bag to her chest. Her curly hair was mangled into a giant knot from tossing and turning around.<p>

She sighed, and re-settled herself in the sleeping bag. The dream had seemed so real, and she could still feel her heart pounding in apprehension as the blinding white figure approached the bush. But just to make sure everything was okay; she unzipped the sleeping bag, and quietly got out of it.

Her eyes swept around the campsite. Her eyes skimmed over Teresa, who was wriggling around in her sleeping bag like a Caterpie. They then darted to Milo, who was snoring softly, the blanket kicked off to the side. Finally, they stopped on the four Pokémon occupying her sleeping bag. Tepig's legs were moving as if it was chasing something in a dream. Oshawott had rolled off of the sleeping bag altogether, and it was snoring very loudly. Snivy was still curled up in a tight coil, and its back rose and fell steadily with each breath.

She finally turned her gaze on Riolu, and the sight soothed her anxiety. Riolu had a faint smile on its face, and obviously it wasn't having a nightmare.

Scarlett knelt on the ground next to Riolu, and peeled apart the sleeping bag to check on the places where its shoulder wound and knee scrapes had been. The wounds were completely non-existent.

But something in buried deep in Riolu's neck fur caught her attention. She hadn't really taken such a close look at the Pokémon before, so it was somewhat of a shock to her when she realized there was a metallic chain tangled around Riolu's neck.

Scarlett gently pried the chain from its blue fur. She noticed a knot tying the chain together at the back of Riolu's head, and so she untied it and lifted the chain off of its neck. Bits of blue fur came out with the chain. Her fingertips were raw and sensitive by the time she finished, but she didn't care one bit. All Scarlett wanted was for Riolu to be comfortable.

There was a small metal tag dangling from the chain, and Scarlett snatched it out of the air to stop it from swinging. She felt something engraved onto the metal plate, and so she moved closer to the embers of the campfire to get a better look at the letters. Her heart skipped a beat when she found out what the letters spelled.

A single tear rolled out of her eye, and her face was a mask of loathing for whoever had done such a thing.

The tag read: Test Subject 626*

She flung the chain onto Milo's head, and dropped to the ground. It was a wonder he didn't wake up. He just grunted and rolled over in his sleep.

She scrambled backwards; her pajamas catching dirt and leaves. She didn't care. She wanted to get as far away from the chain as possible.

But it was during this time that all the events of the past few days came together. In that fateful dream, Arceus had told her she had to save the world using a special power…what if that special power was related to the mind connection she had with Riolu, being able to understand what it was saying? What if that dream she just had was exactly what Riolu experienced?

Scarlett found her way back to Milo's sleeping bag, upon which she collapsed and began sobbing hysterically. Scarlett had never cried like this before in her life. She had screaming fits as a child when she didn't get what she wanted, but this was completely different. She was crying in rage over how humans could treat a Pokémon so heartlessly. Her father had taught her a rule she carried in her head and heart always: 'Pokémon and humans have to work together in harmony. Or why would we exist together?'

The crying was loud enough to wake Milo completely from his deep slumber. He blearily blinked a few times, wondering what that noise in the background was. He turned onto his side in the direction of the racket, and immediately clamoured to his feet, kicking the blanket aside.

He rushed to his sleeping bag, and carefully place a hand on Scarlett's heaving shoulder, as if he was touching delicate china that could break under a single touch. "Scarlett? What's wrong?"

Scarlett managed to choke out the entire story‒tactfully excluding the dream about Arceus and the fact she could communicate telepathically with Riolu‒between sobs. Milo listened in as best he could, prompting Scarlett to keep going when she stopped, even though he didn't understand half of what Scarlett told him. That's what friends were for, right?

Milo hesitated for a second while debating whether or not to do his next action. But Scarlett looked so miserable.

"Come here," he held his arms out to Scarlett, and she threw herself into his arms, the sobbing starting anew. Milo held her close as she clenched the back of his white shirt and cried. He rubbed her back reassuringly while telling her softly that it would be all right.

Scarlett managed to wake up Teresa as well, who inched her way over in her sleeping bag. She felt an odd bubbling feeling in her stomach seeing her two friends in such a position, until she realized that Milo was comforting a weeping Scarlett. "Milo? What's wrong with Scarlett?" Teresa whispered.

Milo answered, "Scarlett found out something about Riolu. It was snatched away from its home by humans who wanted to use it as a test subject for Mew knows what. Riolu managed to escape, but it was a harrowing experience. That's why it didn't trust us at first, and that's why it had those injuries."

Teresa viciously punched her sleeping bag, seriously hurting her knuckles. "That is terrible! I can't believe there are people so selfish in our world. They're cruel and insane, treating a living, feeling creature like that."

Milo had nothing to say to that, as he was thinking much along the same lines. He moved Scarlett away from his body, and saw that she had fallen asleep. Without a word, he stood Scarlett up, and Teresa opened up the sleeping bag. Milo and Teresa carefully set their friend into the sleeping bag.

Milo moved the blanket over to the other side of his sleeping bag, and settled in. Teresa wriggled her sleeping bag up so their faces were on the same plain. The two of them fell asleep under the rapidly fading stars.

Scarlett woke up first to a clatter of rocks against rocks. The pre-dawn air was crisp and clean, and she couldn't wait to start the day. She flipped the sleeping bag top off, and noticed Riolu being chased by Tepig, who was in turn being chased by Oshawott. The rather pudgy little otter was struggling to keep up with the game. Snivy had joined in the fun, by using its vines as a tripping rope.

Scarlett grinned at the Pokémon's antics, and shook both Milo and Teresa awake. Teresa awoke quickly, and Milo grumbled about wake-up calls. Teresa asked quietly, "Are you feeling better?"

Scarlett nodded. "I feel great! But I will never forgive those people. I will get revenge on those who hurt Riolu!" She said the last part so viciously that Teresa backed away from her. Milo gulped, but he knew that Scarlett would carry out her threat if she happened across whoever did the horrible crime to Riolu.

Teresa nervously laughed, before clapping her hands together. "Who's hungry for pancakes? My treat!"

After a scrumptious breakfast of pancakes and fresh berries created lovingly by Teresa, everyone pitched into to clear up the campsite. Scarlett rolled up the sleeping bags and blanket with help from Snivy's Vine Whip. Milo and Oshawott were forced by Teresa to clear and wash the dishes respectively. She scolded Milo when he attempted to lay off the dish-clearing by lightly whapping him on the back of his head. Tepig occupied Riolu by playing tag with it in the borderline of the trees surrounding the grassy field.

With everyone working together, it didn't take long to finish packing up. Milo, Teresa and Scarlett recalled their Pokémon into their Poké Balls, and soon the group was on their way again. Scarlett pulled out her PokéNav again, hoping it was now working, but the interference waves were still going strong.

Noticing the human's distress, Riolu told Scarlett, _I can get you guys out of here. It's the least I can do after you saved my life._ Riolu skipped ahead of the group, waving for them to follow it with its paws.

Scarlett said to her friends, "Come on! Riolu knows the way out of here!"

They excitedly followed Riolu through the dense forest, off of the path. Riolu led them to a small stream which they had to jump over. Milo tripped, and his shoes became soaked through. He shook his shoes, trying to get the water out, and Riolu sniggered.

Suddenly, they reached a paved path, and the dense forest widened out. Just over the crest of a hill was Accumula Town. Teresa squealed with delight, as they had finally reached civilization again.

The group rushed down the hill, as they couldn't wait to see people again. Scarlett noted that Riolu was much slower than them. Scarlett stopped suddenly, and Riolu pattered up to her. _I can't continue any more. There are too many people here for me to be comfortable._

Scarlett nodded. "I understand. You don't want to go into town. I suppose this is goodbye, then?"

Riolu shrugged, and lowered its head. In fact, it was very sad that it couldn't go further with Scarlett, because it had loved every minute of the time they had spent together.

Scarlett patted Riolu's head affectionately. "Maybe one day we'll meet again. But until then, please take care of yourself! Don't let those bad guys take you away again, got it?"

Riolu smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach its eyes. Scarlett's friends called for Scarlett to hurry up, and so she ran, casting one last glance over her shoulder at the Fighting type that was now standing alone in the middle of the road.

Shadows covered its eyes, and it stared after Scarlett, who was getting smaller and smaller in the distance. It took only a split second to make up its mind.

Riolu summoned up all of its speed and stamina, and raced towards the group of rapidly retreating figures. _Scarlett, wait for me!_

Scarlett stopped, and gestured for her friends to do so as well. "What is it?"

Riolu's feet pounded against the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. It skidded to a halt, and clung to Scarlett's leg, refusing to let go.

Scarlett attempted to pry Riolu off, but Riolu's grip was too strong. She placed her hands on her hips. "Riolu, you have to leave. Get going, please."

The Emanation Pokémon buried its head into Scarlett's jeans and murmured, _I don't want to go._

Scarlett was startled by its statement, but she shook off the shock quickly. She gently removed Riolu's paws from around her leg and asked, "You want to come with me?"

Riolu barked in agreement for all to hear, and grinned up at Scarlett.

"Okay!" Scarlett took a few steps back, before unclipping an empty Poké Ball from her fanny pack. "Poké Ball, go!"

Riolu jumped into the air to meet the thrown Poké Ball, and its paw enthusiastically tapped the small white button on the front of the ball. It was enveloped in a flash of red light, and was sucked inside the Poké Ball.

Scarlett picked up the Poké Ball from the ground, before posing victoriously with the Poké Ball in the held high in the air. "I caught a Riolu!"

"Wow! That's so awesome!" Teresa clapped her hands together excitedly. "You caught your first Pokémon!"

"Yeah!" Scarlett brought the Poké Ball down, and released the Pokémon inside. "Come on out, Riolu!"

A white glow emerged from the ball, before Riolu appeared, looking much happier than before. _Those two sillies. They only have one Pokémon, but you have two!_

"Riolu, don't call Milo and Teresa 'silly'," Scarlett raised an eyebrow at Riolu, while Teresa and Milo raised their eyebrows at each other.

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><p><strong>AN: Did anyone catch a reference anywhere? Huh? (The reference was a very cruel one, in my opinion...)<strong>

**Coming next: "That little pipsqueak is a Fighting type? Hah, it couldn't lift a pencil!"**

**_Notes/Questions to Consider:_  
><em>1. Was this meeting in any way, shape or form important?<em>  
><em>2. The reference is from a Disney movie, one with a blue cute little furry monstrosity that I think is pretty similar to a Pokémon. I really liked the idea of this reference, as it was highly cruel, but well planted.<em>**

**Next update 1.5-2.5 weeks! Keep an eye out!**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	8. Show 'Em Who's Boss!

**AN: Hello, people of the universe! I'm back with a new chapter! For once, I'm earlier than I said I was. :O**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon . I am not Japanese. I am not a middle-aged man. Only the OCs and plotline belong to me.**

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><p>The first thing the group did was head for the Pokémon Centre, to make sure their Pokémon were in good health. Riolu was cautious about being in a populated place, and so it stuck close by Scarlett. It refused to make eye contact with all of the people who whispered that it was a super rare Pokémon in Unova.<p>

"Hey, look!" Teresa pointed to a large and angular green building that was just off the main road. "Isn't that the Battle Club?"

Milo's mouth dropped a mile. He'd wanted to go inside one of the facilities ever since he had heard about their existence. "Whoa, it totally is! Let's go there first!" He grabbed Teresa and Scarlett's wrists and roughly dragged his two friends to the Battle Club. "I wanna battle!"

"Now hang on a moment," Scarlett protested weakly, but it was of no use, as Milo wasn't listening to a word she said. He could get so excited about battles. Riolu shrugged its shoulders, and followed closely after them.

Milo barged right up the stairs and into the building. "Where do the matches take place?" He asked after letting his friends go. Both of them rubbed their wrists as Milo's strong grip had left red marks.

"Watch your grip, Milo!" Teresa scolded. "Shouldn't you get a hold of the situation first? There may not be any other Trainers here for you to challenge!"

"That's where you're wrong." Two boys stepped out from a passageway leading to the battlefield. One had a sly smile on his mouth, and the other had his arms crossed over his chest, clearly not happy with the current situation. Both of them exuded confidence that borderlined arrogance. "It appears that the great Teresa is wrong."

Teresa scowled, a horrible scowl which twisted her normally pleasant face. "I see you haven't changed that swaggerish attitude one bit since we last saw you."

"And why would we?" The brown-haired boy who had teased Teresa flipped his hair by shaking his head. The corners of his mouth turned up even higher in pure mockery. "We started our journey two years before you did."

Scarlett stepped forward, her barb-lined tongue ready to whip out a witty response to put him in his place. "And you still haven't appeared on T.V. How long should it take an average Trainer to get five badges? Two years?" She exchanged a satisfied smirk with Teresa. Milo sniggered, and the boy who had his arms crossed shot him a shadowy look.

"At least I didn't run away from home," the boy smoothly covered up. "The whole town is talking about it. According to my mother, you almost gave Serena and Delphox a heart attack. Way to show you care about your family."

Scarlett's face turned absolutely livid, and she prepared to march up to the boy to give him a piece of her mind. She was restrained by a firm grip above both her elbows. "Teresa, let go of me!" Scarlett snapped, angry that her friend was restraining her.

Teresa studiously ignored Scarlett, and when she replied, her voice was calm and threaded with poison, "You're treading on dangerous territory. You know what will happen if you put another toe out of line, Matthew."

Matthew shrugged carelessly, his shoulders rolling up and down fluidly. "So what? It's not like she can do much harm anyways."

Scarlett clenched her teeth tightly, but didn't lunge forward, and so Teresa released Scarlett. However, Matthew's reply sent Milo leaping forward in anger, ready to tear Matthew's throat out. He never let anyone talk about Scarlett that way. "Don't talk about Scarlett's family that way!"

Without batting an eyelash, Teresa seized Milo's jacket as he flew by, obviously used to doing so. Milo's sudden lunge made Matthew and Cole tense up, ready for a brawl.

Riolu was agitated at the situation before it, as the two humans who had just appeared were disturbing its friends. _Hey, Scarlett? What's happening here?_

Scarlett didn't look back when she replied, "Their names are Matthew and Cole. They love making fun of me and my friends. I think they're jealous of us." Her last sentence was only quiet enough for her friends and Riolu to hear.

Matthew casually whistled a popular tune as he moved closer to Scarlett. His gaze shifted downwards to Riolu, who was hugging Scarlett's leg uncertainly. "What Pokémon is that? I've never seen one of those before." He pulled his Pokédex out of his back pocket, and proceeded to scanning Riolu.

"Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. It has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions such as joy and rage in the form of waves."

"That little pipsqueak is a Fighting type? It couldn't lift a pencil." Matthew and Cole both burst out laughing.

Riolu bared its teeth viciously at the two offenders. _Do not speak of me like that! I'm much stronger than I appear._

Scarlett and Riolu exchanged a firm nod of understanding. Scarlett was boiling with rage just underneath her skin, and Riolu was annoyed at being insulted. "You wouldn't understand strength if it looked you in the eye. Matthew, there's only one way to solve this." Scarlett jabbed a finger at him, and Riolu copied the movement, defiance dancing in both of their eyes. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

"Fine by me," Matthew placed his hands behind his head. He didn't think a beginning rookie Trainer like Scarlett could beat him. He'd seen her battling style before, and he wasn't worried at all. He was certain she'd be easy to beat. "Don't be too surprised if you lose."

"The only one losing around here will be you," Scarlett muttered darkly. She wasn't going to lose this battle, no matter what.

Riolu nodded, and barked at Matthew. _I'll show you how much of a weakling you are!_

The two clashing groups walked down the hall, each glaring daggers at the other. The brightly lit hallway was filled to the brim with tension, and there were sparks of static passed back and forth between Milo and Matthew.

Riolu tapped Scarlett's leg. _We're gonna win this for sure! _It raised a blue fist determinedly, hopefulness gleaming in its blood red eyes.

Scarlett kept looking ahead. She didn't doubt that they could win, but she still thought for a moment before answering, "Just remember not to get too overconfident. Matthew has 5 badges. He's a pretty accomplished Trainer."

Riolu vigorously nodded its head in agreement with Scarlett. _I hope that he gets a big head about being able to beat us!_

The Trainers entered the stadium, and the tension was finally released as the two groups moved apart from each other. Milo observed the battlefield in awe. The field was much larger than the one he and Teresa had their first battle on. It was also made of well-packed sand, but this golden sand was much finer, and was therefore much better at observing impacts and holding out to underground attacks. This was the first official battlefield they had ever set foot on.

Milo wasted no time, rushing up to a man in a dark gray shirt and pants and a red belt. His skin was weathered, and he had prominent muscles from training Pokémon. The man had a rather gruff expression on his face that would have warded off most people, but it didn't deter Milo. "Mister? Are you Don George?"

"I sure am, son. Do you wish for me to referee a battle?" Don George tipped his head in the direction of Scarlett who was tensely waiting, and Matthew who was cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

"Yes!" Milo shouted with his fists in the air.

"I like your spirit, son," Don George's mustache rose upward in a smile, which Milo wasn't expecting. "All right, let's get this battle underway. The Trainers battling are named?"

"Scarlett and Matthew," Milo said his rival's name spitefully, venom bubbling up in his mouth from the unpleasantness.

Don George raised an eyebrow at Milo's coldness towards the boy whose name was Matthew, but decided not to question it. They must have been bitter rivals, and Don George had seen many Trainers go against their rivals in the Battle Club.

Scarlett and Matthew took their positions, with Scarlett taking the right and Matthew choosing the left. Their friends moved into the sidelines to cheer them on. Matthew made a rather nasty face at Scarlett and mouthed, "You are going down."

Scarlett was unfazed, and made a rather unpleasant face back at him. Riolu pulled down an eyelid and stuck out it's tongue.

Don George caught this little exchange, and snapped, "No funny faces allowed! A battle is about respect and not about making fun of each other."

Scarlett respectfully dipped her head in apology, while Matthew avoided eye contact and scowled.

Don George raised a green and a red flag. Scarlett was green, and Matthew was red. "The battle between Scarlett and Matthew will now begin. Each Trainer is allowed one Pokémon, and the battle will be over when either side is unable to continue. Trainers, ready?" He looked at both of them in turn while speaking.

Scarlett bit her lip in concentration, trying to work out how Matthew was going to battle. She had seen him a few times before he went on his journey, and she knew his general battling style. It was a highly offensive battling style, and Scarlett didn't know how Riolu could hold out against Matthew's super strong and powerful Pokémon. "Ready."

Matthew unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it up and down. He snatched it out of the air and held it in front of him, eyes gleaming. "I'm ready as well."

Don George lowered both flags simultaneously. "Then, begin!"

Scarlett decided to take the first move. "Riolu! I choose you!" Riolu ran out onto the field, its feet spaced evenly apart and its hands in a ready position.

"Pignite," Matthew tossed the Poké Ball in his hand onto the centre of the field. "Show 'em what you've got!"

Out popped an extremely tough-looking Fire Pig Pokémon. Its coat gleamed, and hardened muscles slid under its skin. It puffed out a cloud of warm embers, and growled menacingly at Riolu.

Riolu hesitantly observed the Pignite, taking in its abnormally large size and apparent strength. _Are you sure we can beat that Pignite?_ It asked Scarlett skeptically. _I mean, look at it! It's so powerful!_

"Riolu, you can't get distracted now! Just because your opponent is physically stronger than you doesn't mean you can't win. And there's one thing Matthew doesn't have that we do," Scarlett stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground. Riolu looked over its shoulder at her, wondering if she was going to give a motivational speech. Scarlett's eyes were filled with a deadly green fire, and she was ready to win. "Remember that he doesn't have a strategy. He's never seen you battle before. We have to hit him with all we've got." Scarlett grinned, and glared at Matthew, who snorted incredulously. "Let's win this!"

Riolu barked, and fearlessly rushed towards the well-muscled Pignite. It put its full trust in its Trainer, knowing that Scarlett wouldn't let it down.

"Riolu! Dart to the right and spin around Pignite!" Scarlett commanded.

Riolu seamlessly darted to the right, effectively weaving around the larger Pokémon, confusing it greatly. Pignite turned around in circles, trying to keep up with the smaller and quicker Pokémon.

"We're not falling for that! Pignite, use Arm Thrust!" Matthew countered.

Pignite's forearms began glowing white, and its arms thrust toward Riolu at bullet speed. Riolu managed to evade the first three punches, but it was concentrating too much on Pignite's fists and so it stumbled. The Fire Pig Pokémon's final punch hit Riolu right in the stomach as it tripped. Riolu's red eyes bulged out as the attack blew it backwards. It skidded across the sandy terrain, stirring up sand. It coughed in agony, and tried to regain its breath.

"Pignite! Heat Crash, now!" Matthew shouted.

Pignite was encased in a ball of flames as it jumped high into the air. The Fire and Fighting type fell hard onto Riolu, crushing the Emanation Pokémon beneath its weight. Riolu let out a choking cry before falling silent.

"Riolu!" Scarlett screamed. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She pinched herself hard to stop herself from running onto the battlefield, remembering that that wasn't allowed in an official battle.

Matthew prepared to recall Pignite, who moved away from the impact site none the worse of the experience. "Well, I guess it's over, Scarlett. That Riolu really is a pipsqueak after-" He didn't get the chance to finish.

As Pignite backed away from the crater it had made, the shadow of a Pokémon struggling to get up was seen through the dust. Riolu wasn't down yet. It winced in pain, and staggered to its feet, badly bruised, but still alive and willing to fight. It wiped sand from its mouth, and spat out dirt. It's been in tougher situations before, and wasn't about to go down so easily.

"That's it, Riolu! You can do it!" Teresa yelled from the stands encouragingly, standing up and clapping loudly.

"Let's go, Riolu!" Milo cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered. "Don't give up, Scarlett! It's not over yet!"

Scarlett brushed her hair out of her face, adrenaline resurging through her. "Riolu, we're having a change of tactics! Quick Attack!"

Without brushing off the dust, Riolu charged forward once again, baring its teeth in a way that it hoped was threatening.

"That's getting old!" Matthew flipped his hair arrogantly. "Pignite, use Take Down!"

Pignite rushed forward. It seemed that neither Pokémon would chicken out and that their heads would bash together when Scarlett ordered, "Now, Riolu! Slide on the ground!"

Riolu slid on the sand, using the momentum from the Quick Attack to propel itself forward. Pignite and Matthew were both thrown off by the sudden tactic change, and so they didn't expect what was coming next.

"Use your Sky Uppercut!" Scarlett cried, and she threw her hand up into the air. "Send Pignite flying!"

Riolu's right arm glowed pale blue, and it jabbed harshly at Pignite's exposed belly. Pignite was roughly thrown into the air, and it waved its arms and legs around frantically, trying to regain its balance.

Scarlett smirked at Matthew's wide open mouth. "Riolu! Force Palm the ground to propel yourself up into the air!"

Riolu complied, and it was blasted into the air even higher than Pignite was. Pignite's eyes widened as they both fell towards the ground.

"Finishing move!" Scarlett victoriously posed with her right hand making a 'V'. "Force Palm Pignite into the ground!"

Riolu placed its palm on Pignite's back, and gathered up all of its remaining energy for a Force Palm that would be more powerful than the one it used to escape that truck. It apologetically smiled before its palm flashed white, and Pignite flew stomach first onto the ground, creating another crater on the sandy floor. Riolu lightly landed beside it, gasping from the effort. It grinned wildly at Matthew's shocked face as the dust cleared, revealing a Pignite that was out cold. Riolu proudly stood beside its fallen opponent, before its legs buckled from beneath it and it too fell to the ground in exhaustion. Both Pokémon were knocked out.

Scarlett rushed onto the battlefield, and gently placed Riolu's head on her lap. "You did great, Riolu." Scarlett wasn't extremely pleased that the battle hand ended with a tie, but she was so proud of Riolu for standing up again after such a devastating hit.

Don George raised both of the flags. "It's a Double Knockout! Neither Pokémon can continue, so this battle is a draw!"

With a loud humph, clearly unsatisfied, Matthew recalled his Pignite. "You did well, Pignite." He complimented it before it was sucked into the Poké Ball. He glared at Scarlett, wondering how she could have made that comeback. "It was just beginner's luck," he shrugged.

Scarlett returned Riolu as well, before standing up and staring Matthew down. She was very confident about her battling skills after tying with a Trainer who had much more worldly experience than herself. "That may be, but I still tied with you. Riolu is not a pipsqueak, and I am not a rookie. I think we're done here." She then turned on her heel and walked away, with her friends behind her. They were now headed to the Pokémon Centre, so Riolu could heal up after the intensive battle.

Matthew shouted after them, "We may have tied this time, but I'll win next time!" His words were lost to the group, who were too busy chattering about the battle to hear him.

Cole hopped out from the stands to join his friend on the battlefield, and the duo stared after the rivaling group. Matthew didn't want to admit it, but he was impressed with the Riolu's power, which had packed a powerful punch despite its small package and cute appearance.

And Scarlett was something else. He hadn't known she was such a proficient battler, as he had only seen her battle in school. Back then he hadn't been impressed by her battling skills, and he thought she was crazy whenever her small group of friends and admirers gushed over how amazing she was of a battler. She must have been holding back for the sake of being fair to the other students who were just beginning. Living in close proximity to two Champions and a professor must have rubbed off of her.

He nodded briefly at Cole before his face set in a grin. Finally, he had a worthy rival to compete against. He now had a motivation, and he promised silently that next time they'd meet n battle, he'd win.

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><p><strong>AN: Tada! How was that for a battle? Scarlett and Milo's most disliked person in the world has re-appeared, and will be appearing every now and then.<strong>

_**Notes/Questions to Consider:**_  
><em><strong>1. Why is Scarlett so strong in battles?<strong>_  
><em><strong>2. Who are the two Champions that Matthew had been refering to? I bet you can guess at least one of them. :D<strong>_

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Signing out,**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	9. Oh, You're in Trouble

**AN: Hurray for weekly updates! No time for fancy words, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own only the OCs and the plotline. So there.**

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><p>The group chattered all the way to the Pokémon Centre. Milo was a tiny bit envious that Scarlett had pulled of a tie with Matthew as her opponent. While in school, Matthew had crushed Milo every single time they battled.<p>

Teresa was very excited about it. She repeated over and over, "If you practice and train hard enough, you can beat him! That'll certainly put him in his place."

Scarlett just wanted some peace and quiet, as well as some time to think over Matthew's strategies. She already knew what Teresa had been saying out loud, but she didn't have the heart to tell her two friends to be quiet and that her tie hadn't been that impressive.

Scarlett closed her eyes and held her head up to sun, with her friends guiding her forward. She had been surprised by Riolu's strength and power for its first official battle. She was also surprised that they had easily connected as one on the battlefield. When she had given it a command, it had obeyed almost exactly as she had imagined the attack carried out. They had understood the other flawlessly, and they had been in perfect sync.

Scarlett had not been impressed by herself, however. She was certain they had the battle in their hands from the very beginning, but that attitude changed as soon as Matthew had his Pignite use Heat Crash. She wondered what on earth could have gone wrong. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice they had walked right into Accumula Town's Pokémon Centre.

Teresa stared in wonder at how organized and clean the Centre was. The floor was spotless, and potted plants were tastefully placed here and there. The walls were covered with photos of the resident Nurse Joy standing with the Pokémon of powerful Trainers. The group spotted Ash's Pikachu, Alder's Bouffalant, and Iris' Haxorus, among other Pokémon.

Milo flopped down on one of the couches littered in the lounge. "You guys go on ahead. I haven't sat on a real chair for two days." Milo rested his hands behind his head and kicked his feet up onto an ottoman. He closed his eyes, glad to finally be on something soft and comfortable. He was going to get back at Scarlett for stealing his sleeping bag someday soon.

The two girls rolled their eyes at Milo's laziness, but they proceeded to the front desk. As one would expect, the Pokémon Centre's Nurse Joy was standing behind the desk with her assistant, Audino. She smiled at the approaching Trainers. "Hi there! How can I help you?"

Teresa observed the Audino with great interest. "Is that an Audino?" she asked, ever the curious soul. She whipped her Pokédex out of her back pocket. Her fingers sped across the buttons lightning fast, and the Pokédex began reciting Audino's entry.

"Audino, the Hearing Pokémon. Its auditory sense is astounding. It has a radar-like ability to understand is surroundings through slight sounds." Audino softly said its name and curled one of the feelers on its ears. Teresa had the sudden urge to reach across the desk and stroke Audino's furry head.

While shaking her head, Scarlett took Riolu's Poké Ball out of her fanny pack and gently placed it on the counter. "It's my Riolu," she explained. "It was in an intense battle and it was injured."

Nurse Joy picked up the Poké Ball. "Is it bad?"

Scarlett shook her head. "There aren't any open wounds, but it might have a bruise on its stomach and its back. And please don't let it out of the Poké Ball."

"Thank you for telling me how it was injured. That makes my job a lot easier. But why can't I release it from its Poké Ball?"

Scarlett leaned onto the desk with her elbows as support. "Because it had a really bad experience with humans," she muttered. She wanted to erase those memories from her head, and so she didn't elaborate.

The Nurse nodded in understanding. "I see. And might I ask your names?"

Teresa jumped forward. "My name is Teresa, and that lazy boy sitting on the couch is Milo."

Scarlett placed a hand on her chest. "I'm Scarlett."

Nurse Joy blinked in shock for a few moments, before she burst out laughing; a beautiful sound that often turned heads. "Scarlett, I don't believe it! My, you've grown a lot since the last time I saw you. And you too, Teresa. I'm sure Milo has as well."

Scarlett grinned. "I was wondering if you recognized me, as you hadn't seemed to realize it was me." It had indeed been a long time since Scarlett had last visited the Pokémon Centre. The last time she had, she had fought in a mock 6-on-6 battle against Milo, sufficiently knocking out all twelve of her dad's top notch Pokémon. She could still recall which Pokémon she had used. She had chosen Buizel, Staraptor, Meganium, Glalie, Infernape and Gabite. As soon as her mom found out, Serena had flipped out and sent Milo back home. Serena then grounded Scarlett for two weeks, and together they went to the nearest Pokémon Centre to patch up the exhausted fighters.

"You three haven't been getting into trouble lately, right?" The Nurse raised a delicate eyebrow, recalling just how troublesome the trio were as children.

Teresa and Scarlett shared a look, and came to the same conclusion. "Why no, Nurse Joy," Scarlett folded her hands behind her back. Teresa copied her friend's movement. "We haven't been in trouble for a long time now." This statement was a lie, considering the three of them ran away from home. They hadn't been caught yet, so it didn't count, not in their books.

"Thank goodness for that," The nurse pointed over at the corner where two video phones rested. "Scarlett, you have a private phone call that's been waiting for you since the morning before today. They're still on hold. Why don't you see who the caller is while I heal your Riolu?"

Teresa laughed nervously. "I'll just be waiting outside… you know, to check on Oshawott." She scooted backwards and shook Milo awake. She quietly explained the situation to him, and the two scurried outside of the building to wait until Scarlett's phone call was finished.

Scarlett gulped in anxiety. She knew exactly the reason her friends were so eager to leave the Centre until the call was finished. Walking towards the machines with apprehension, she stopped in front of the phone with the black screen that flashed 'Caller on Hold' in big white letters. She sat down on the wooden stool provided with a thump. Her fingers shakily reached for the phone's answer button, and squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed the button.

A low bark resonated through the speakers, and Scarlett opened one eye. She had thought that her mother would answer, but was quite thankful that the answerer was Delphox.

Delphox was ecstatic that Scarlett had finally answered. It had been worried about Serena, who had busied herself designing and sewing clothes for Pokémon and people alike for her newest clothing line to try and take her mind off of Scarlett's disappearance.

Its stick lit up with a mystical fire with flames that flickered with a brilliant array of colours. Delphox waved the stick around enthusiastically, almost knocking the video phone off the table.

There was the sound of pounding footsteps coming fast down the staircase. A hand shooed Delphox off the screen, and the woman on the other end of the phone screeched something incomprehensible. The few Trainers resting in the lounge turned their heads towards the beet red Scarlett who sat still with her hair sticking on end from the intensity of the screech.

"Scarlett, you will come home this instant!" Serena demanded in her normal voice; cranked to the maximum volume. "The whole town is so worried about the three of you, taking off like that!"

Serena collapsed herself onto the table, her head supported by her arms. She began sobbing hysterically, and Delphox patted her back reassuringly. It turned its head to the phone and barked several times. Scarlett assumed that Delphox meant the same thing as its Trainer.

"I'm sorry for running away, mom," Scarlett sincerely apologized. "But I'm afraid I can't come back home."

Serena raised her head and put on her most threatening face. "Young lady, you will come home right now, or so help me, I will ground you for eternity!"

Scarlett scowled, not wanting another repeat of the same argument. "You prevented me from doing what I love to do! The only reason I ran away was to follow those dreams."

Serena threw her hands up into the air. "I'm just trying to protect you!" She wanted her daughter to understand why she was doing this. But without telling Scarlett why she prevented her from traveling around, it was very difficult for them to see eye to eye.

"If you want me to understand, then tell me why!" Scarlett shouted. She could feel tears swelling up from behind her eyes. "Tell me why you can't let me travel!"

Serena crossed her arms, not wanting to argue with her daughter. She walked off the screen with Delphox, much to Scarlett's frustration. Scarlett felt like smashing the phone screen in, but she knew that Nurse Joy wouldn't be thrilled if she took that course of action.

She was about to press the 'End Call' button when a Pokémon jumped onto the screen. Scarlett couldn't believe her eyes. The Pokémon that had jumped in front of the screen was a small electrical mouse with fat red cheeks. It squealed in delight at seeing the girl it loved almost as much as its Trainer did. Scarlett gasped as a familiar man slid onto the seat behind the screen and smiled at her.

"Scarlett, sweetheart. How have you been? I've missed you." The man was none other than Ash Ketchum. He's retained the same twinkle in his warm brown eyes, and his hair has only grown wilder as time passed. The wild mess of spiky black hair is mostly concealed by a baseball cap.

"Dad!" If Scarlett had actually been sitting across from Ash, she may have jumped on him in a hug. "Why are you home?" On the inside, she was worried for her mom a bit as she had actually called her dad back from his ever-continuing journey.

Ash pointed out of the screen before whispering, "Your mother called me in the middle of the night, worried sick and screeching like a dying Murkrow into my PokéGear. She woke up and frightened quite a few young Trainers out of their wits. I was in Goldenrod City at the time and I had to rush out of the Pokémon Centre and hop on a flight to Nuvema Town lickety-split. Needless to say, Pikachu wasn't too happy at being interrupted while it was dreaming."

Pikachu crossed its arms and gravely nodded, obviously still holding a small grudge at being woken up in the middle of a dream about ketchup. Electricity sparked off of its cheeks, and Ash subconsciously scooted the chair back to avoid being shocked for the billionth time.

Scarlet nervously giggled as she imagined her dad getting shocked. Oftentimes, he'd fall down onto the ground with his legs and arms twitching from the electrical current.

A loud and demanding voice blasted into the speakers, startling the other Trainers even further. "Ash Ketchum! You are supposed to be furious and disappointed, not gossiping with your daughter about how my voice sounded!" The next thing Serena shouted was, "Delphox! Use that Flamethrower of yours!"

Her husband was wreathed in a column of flames from off the screen, and after the fire ended, Ash was covered in pure black soot and residue.

Pikachu laughed, holding its stomach in and Scarlett laughed in the same way. Ash pouted before dusting himself off, and he threw a (not) menacing look off the screen at the offenders. This caused more uproarious laughter from both ends of the call.

"Oh, the two of you can stop laughing now," Ash complained in a light-hearted manner. The laughter faded away gradually as Ash's face took a more serious turn. "But Scarlett, you can tell me why you ran away. Your mom's not here anymore." The last sentence was a white lie to make Scarlett more confident to talk about her feelings, as her mom was still standing near the phone, but not close enough to hear the other side of the conversation clearly.

Scarlett had always felt that talking to her dad was a lot more comfortable than talking to her mom on this subject, and so she told her dad her true reason for running away from home. "I didn't want to be cooped up at home forever," she admitted with difficulty. "I just had to get out there and start my own journey. I realize I could have trained hard at home with just Snivy and Stoutland, but that would have been totally different. I wanted to experience what you and mom did when you were my age."

Ash nodded understandingly. He could still remember the thrill of winning over Pikachu's trust and respect, and the excitement of battles. He still experienced them on a daily basis. "Ah, I see. You caught the traveling bug, like I did."

"How can I convince my mom that I'm able to take care of myself, especially since my friends and I will lean on each other for support?"

Ash shrugged. "There's no way to sway her mind on this matter. She wants to protect you."

Scarlett threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and cried, "What on earth does everyone mean by that? The villainous teams you told me about don't exist anymore! They were disbanded or caught by the police! There are no dangers other than the normal Trainer dangers. Mom knows that!"

Ash quickly held up a hand before Scarlett began yelling at him. He knew she wasn't angry at him. She wasn't even angry at her mom. She was frustrated with her mother for not telling her why she couldn't go on a journey. "Let me have a moment to talk with your mom, okay?" Without checking Scarlett's answer, he walked out of the screen.

Serena stood with her arms crossed. "That conversation you just had there didn't sound like you wanted her to come back home. It sounded like she wanted to smash in a vase." She huffed in annoyance. "I suppose I have to do everything myself." Serena prepared to walk over to the video phone.

"Serena, listen to Scarlett for a moment," Ash held Serena's shoulders gently, effectively stopping her from going anywhere. "Actually listen to her opinion and thoughts. She wants to experience everything that we did as kids. She has no idea why you won't let her go. She's old enough to know now. I'm telling her the truth."

"But you can't!" Serena protested. "What if she gives something away by accident? She could be brainwashed by… them!"

"Scarlett's smart. She can take care of herself now. I'm sorry Serena, but you can't stop me." Ash released his wife's tense shoulders and walked back to the video phone.

A tear trickled out of Serena's eyes. She fiercely wiped it away while muttering, "This family is completely dysfunctional. It has three humans who are as stubborn as Tauros, and a backyard of Pokémon with odd habits. I'm leaving this conversation." What was happening now reminded Serena of all the arguments that she and her mom had over Rhyhorn Racing. She didn't want a repeat of that in her own family.

Ash hopped back onto the screen and adjusted his hat. "Sorry for making you wait, sweetheart. Your mom didn't want me to tell you the truth, but here it is: the truth is that there's another team out there. The police know almost nothing about them, and so your mother and I did a bit of research on them by ourselves. We didn't turn up much, but we have both come to the conclusion that they're looking for a certain type of person. This kind of person is very rare, and there are only three of them alive right now." Ash paused a moment to collect his thoughts and to decide what he should reveal to his daughter.

He had to be careful that she didn't know too much about them, or one of the mysterious group's spies may overhear Scarlett talking about them. They could easily trace her relations to some of the most powerful trainers in the world.

"What kind of people are they looking for? Is it someone great at battling? Is it someone physically strong or intelligent?" Scarlett listed the most obvious things off the top of her head.

Ash took a deep breath before revealing the secret. He was almost certain Serena would kill him for it later. "The kind of person they're looking for is none of those. They want a person who can control and manipulate Aura."

Scarlett was stunned speechless. Her parents had told her stories about people who could use the power emanating inside every living being. They were almost non-existent. There were only two documented cases where a person could use Aura. "Then wouldn't they target that man in Sinnoh…Riley?"

Ash shook his head. "Nah, they don't want an 'old geezer' like him." He made air-quote movements when he said the words 'old geezer'; he was exaggerating. "They want someone young, who isn't set in a certain path yet. Someone who's ways can be easily changed."

Scarlett scoffed. "I wish them luck to try to find someone like that! I think they know people like that are really hard to find."

"But," Ash lowered his voice so Scarlett had to lean in close to hear his next words. "There is an undocumented case of an Aura User that I know of."

"Who's that person?" Scarlett inquired.

Ash pointed at himself, as did Pikachu. "I am the undocumented case."

Scarlett blinked a few times, wondering if her dad was joking around. But both he and his partner had the most serious faces she's ever seen them with. The intensity of their stares was more intense than during a battle. She had no choice but to believe them. She could only say, "Whoa."

Ash noticed her incredulous expression. "I know it seems farfetched, but I'm not lying. I honestly wish it wasn't true."

Scarlett gulped. Her dad was serious about every word he was speaking. "Then, wouldn't those bad guys know about you?"

"Ah," Ash nodded. During his travels, he had noticed many shadowy figures in the corner of his eyes. They never bothered him though. "They do know about me, but they couldn't care less about this old soul. They know I'd never do whatever they'd ask me to do. That's where you come in."

Scarlett tilted her head. "Why me?"

"I have kept my family under the radar by choosing to live in a small town in a faraway region. They know about me, but they don't know about you. If they found out about you, they could use you as a bargaining chip to get me to co-operate." Dark shadows covered his face as he said this. "Serena was trying to protect you. She knows that you would be a great Trainer, but she's worried about the reporters and interviewers. You'd have to say where you're from, and you'd say that you're my daughter. Then they'd probably kidnap you and hold you until I came to rescue you. They might hurt you."

Scarlett could finally relate to her mother. She understood now that Serena truly cared about her. "Hey dad? Thanks for telling me the truth when my mom didn't. I think I understand her better now." She stood up, and bravely said, "But I'm not a kid anymore! I can take care of-" She was cut off by the beeping sound that signalized a Pokémon was back to full health.

All heads in the room turned to Nurse Joy, who carried a tray with a single Poké Ball on it. Everyone hoped that it contained their Pokémon.

"Scarlett? Your Pokémon is back to full health!" Nurse Joy placed the tray on the counter, and waited for Scarlett to come over to the desk to retrieve her Pokémon.

"Dad, could you wait a moment?" Scarlett rose up from the stool.

"Of course," Ash settled into the chair as Scarlett headed over to the desk to fetch Riolu.

"Riolu is all better now!" Nurse Joy smiled brightly as Scarlett walked up to the front desk. Scarlett thanked Nurse Joy and took Riolu's Poké Ball off the tray. She headed back for the phone where her dad was patiently waiting.

"Say, is that a Pokémon of yours?" Ash pointed to the Poké Ball resting in Scarlett's lap. Scarlett nodded. "Could I see all of your Pokémon?"

"This is my starter, Snivy!" Scarlett released the Grass Snake Pokémon onto the table. Snivy appeared in a flash of white light, and when it emerged, it was already in a proud pose, with its tiny hands on its waist and pointy nose in the air. It primly said, "Snivy Snivy."

Ash scratched his head. "That Snivy seems awfully similar to my Serperior."

Pikachu obviously agreed with its Trainer. "Pika Pikachu."

Snivy didn't know wither to be offended or not by this exchange, and so it merely shrugged before relaxing from its pose.

"Well, they are pretty similar, but Snivy's much more relaxed than Serperior. It likes to have fun with everyone else, though it will sit out and watch sometimes," Scarlett had noticed a pattern that prevailed in all of the Pokémon she knew in the Snivy evolution line. "I think that all Snivy are like that."

"And who's in the other Poké Ball? Is it a Pokémon you caught recently?"

"I befriended this one." Scarlett released Riolu, and it appeared on the floor in the same pose that Snivy was in earlier.

Ash was taken aback. He had no idea Riolu could be found in Unova. Also, they had just been talking about Aura, and Riolu's evolved form was able to use Aura Sphere, as well as communicate with Aura. "Wow! A Riolu! They're basically non-existent in Unova, you know that, right?"

Scarlett happily picked Riolu up and hugged both of her Pokémon. Snivy squirmed a bit before settling in with an indulgent smirk. "Yup! I know!"

"Well you just keep on traveling on your journey. I promise I'll convince that mother of yours." Ash promised to let his daughter experience the things that he did when he was her age.

Scarlett screamed in excitement and almost squished the two Pokémon she was holding to death. "I'll make all of you proud!"

"I know you will. I have only one thing to ask of you. Promise me you will not speak of this again ever, unless you speak with me or your mom face to face. Got it?"

Scarlett agreed softly. "I promise. I won't reveal my last name to the reporters either."

"That's my girl," Ash smiled.

Pikachu cooed and blew Scarlett a kiss. Scarlett pretended to catch the kiss, and she pressed her hands to her cheek. Pikachu waved enthusiastically before running off of the table. It landed on the floor with a thump, and its paws scampered over the stone tiles. Scarlett assumed it was heading for the garden to play with all of its friends.

"I'll see you later, dad." Scarlett gave him a wave, as did her Pokémon.

"It was very nice to meet you, Snivy, Riolu. Now, I hope that Serena won't kill me too much. This is all for you." Ash gave a final wave and a thumbs up before the screen went black. Ash sighed happily before turning around. He came face to face with Serena, and almost fell of the chair in shock.

"So, how'd it go?" Serena waved a rather large sewing needle around, as she had been designing a new dress pattern after Ash had decided to tell Scarlett the truth so she didn't have to stick around and listen to them talk. "When's she coming back?"

Ash's guilty face gave it all away.

* * *

><p>Scarlett returned both of her Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls. She couldn't believe her luck, and was so grateful to her dad for telling her the truth. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for the group on her travels. he stood up and pushed the stool under the desk and headed outside to where her friends were waiting.<p>

Milo waved. "So, Scarlett. What happened? Do you have to go back?"

Scarlet feigned a depressed look. "Yes, I'm afraid that my mom won't take no for an answer."

Teresa and Milo were both shocked. "But you can't go back!" Teresa protested. "We took so much trouble getting out of the town!"

"However," Scarlett continued. "My dad is letting me continue!"

Both of them were thrilled that Scarlett could keep going with them, and they celebrated with a group hug.

"What are we waiting for?" Milo threw a triumphant fist in the air. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Teresa was suddenly reminded of something, and she edged in a sly comment. "Did you and Scarlett forget something important?" Teresa then raised her eyebrows for added emphasis and effect.

Milo scratched his head, wondering what Teresa could possibly mean. He was certain he hadn't forgotten anything! Scarlett thought deep and hard for a few moments before she smacked her fist into her hand.

"Oh, shoot! I can't believe I almost forgot!" She shoved the glass doors open, and rushed up to the front desk. "Nurse Joy! Please register me for the Pokémon League!" Scarlett could be heard through the doors, and Milo suddenly remembered.

"How had I almost forgotten?" he screamed as he followed suit.

Nurse Joy clucked her tongue at the Trainers, before accepting their Pokédexes and registered them into the League as participants.

"Thank you so much, Nurse Joy," Scarlett panted. Milo echoed her, and the Nurse waved it off.

"It was no problem. Now have a safe trip!" Nurse Joy said a final goodbye as Scarlett and Milo burst through the doors of the Centre.

"Striaton City, here we come!" Scarlett jumped into the air with her friends close behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I can't help but feel the every end was rushed a lot.<strong>

**I can just imagine Ash running away from an angry Serena holding a large sewing needle...**

_**Notes/Questions to Consider:**_  
><em><strong>1. So Serena designs clothing?! Does she have another job?<strong>_  
><em><strong>2. Why was Ash taken aback so much when he learned that his daughter had a Riolu? Could there have been another reason?<strong>_

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Stay tuned!**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	10. Drilling the Right Path!

**AN: Hello, everyone! I'm back from that break! I planned to post this earlier, but a vacation without internet prevented me from doing that**

**I've fully plotted out the 2 chapters after this one. Sorry chapter 8 is short, but it's only a filler.**

**Disclaimer: I'm really doing this for all 50 or so chapters, right? I don't own Pokémon, only the plot and OCs**

* * *

><p>The group had been walking along Unova's Route Two for quite some time. It was now their fifth day on their journey, and they all hoped to reach Striaton City soon, where Milo and Scarlett planned to challenge the Gym for the badge and climb up one rung higher on the ladder to the Pokémon League. Teresa was balancing on the edge, as she still hasn't decided just what path she wanted to follow. She had a few in mind, but nothing was definite.<p>

A lush breeze blew through the forest, and fluffy white clouds race overhead, cooling the Unovan summer considerably.

No one was paying attention to where they were walking, and Teresa and Scarlett both flinched in surprise when Milo fell down with a thump. He gave a sharp exclamation of pain, and quickly checked his right knee, which was scraped. The wound was mostly rubbed off skin and a few dots of blood, but it was enough to shock him.

"Milo! Are you okay?" Teresa slid her backpack off of her shoulder before taking out the first aid kit.

He shook his head no, and stretched his leg out for Teresa to inspect. He hissed through his teeth as Teresa applied a bit of rubbing alcohol to the area surrounding the scrape.

Milo tested his leg after Teresa had patched it up, and winced. "Ow! That hurt!"

Teresa sighed. She thought that Milo was overreacting, and said as much. "Oh, Milo! Don't be such a drama queen!"

Scarlett decided to add her own piece. "You should have watched where you were going."

Milo wrinkled his nose at the two girls before carefully rising to his feet. He scanned the area, keeping an eye out for what could have tripped him. His eyes landed on a small dark brown lump half sticking out of the ground. He limped over to the object and gently tapped it with his left foot. "That's an awfully weird rock," he remarks. He leaned down to inspect it more closely.

Scarlett joined him, poking at the object with one finger. "That doesn't seem like a rock to me," Scarlett declared with a hand on her hip. "It's too soft and pudgy."

Teresa opened her mouth, ready to agree with Scarlett when the "rock" began to tremble. It burst from the ground in a shower of loose dirt and pebbles. The "rock" began squeaking agitatedly at Milo, eyes narrowed in slits at being disturbed. Its claws gleamed, indicating a wicked sharpness, and Scarlett and Teresa scooted back. Despite the Pokémon's short stature, it gave off an aura of unpleasantness, as if you always had to watch your back when it was around, lest your flower bed be riddled with holes.

Milo jumped backwards in surprise. He winced from the unexpected pain in his knee. "What on earth is that thing?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes before pulling out her Pokédex. She and Teresa already knew what the Pokémon was, as it was one of the most common Pokémon in the Unova Region.

"Drilbur, the Mole Pokémon. It makes its way swiftly through the soil by putting both claws together and rotating at high speed," the Pokédex chimed in its robotic voice. The Drilbur puffed in annoyance at not being recognized immediately.

"A Drilbur, huh?" Milo rolled up his sleeves, which was quite a feat as his shirt's sleeves were short. He wasn't pleased at all. He wondered why the Drilbur just had to be napping in the middle of the road, where there were certainly better napping places elsewhere in the forest. "That little squirt is getting it!"

The Drilbur frowned, wanting to go back to sleep. It tried grossing the Trainers out by pulling one eyelid down and rolling its eye back into its socket.

Teresa was the only one grossed out and she squealed, "Eww! That's so gross!" She ran off the path, and hid behind a tree. The Drilbur laughed, finding it hilarious that a member of their group had chickened out.

Scarlett followed Teresa, not wanting to be near Milo or Drilbur when the fight escalated, and together the girls peeked out from behind the tree together. Scarlett shouted encouragingly, "Why don't you catch it, Milo? It'll be a great addition to your team!"

This seemed to be the best course of action to Milo, and he drew Tepig's Poké Ball off of his belt. He held it in front of him, and released his Pokémon. Tepig appeared in a piercing beam of light, and it snorted orange embers out of its nose. It pawed the ground, ready for a good fight. It hadn't battled for ages.

Milo pointed at the Drilbur, who was picking its nose in boredom. "I challenge you, Drilbur!"

Drilbur glanced at the Trainer, who had balls of fire burning in his eyes. Things were about to get serious, and Drilbur recognized this. It cracked its knuckles, hoping that the Trainer could put up an actual fight. It had been looking for a worthy Trainer, but all that it had battled previously were too weak to catch it, as they were all just beginning their journeys. However, it wasn't so sure that Milo was the right Trainer for it.

It shot Milo a menacing glare. It was the first test. Milo didn't flinch, and neither did Tepig. The glare only riled the pair up more, and Milo prepared to attack.

He ordered loudly, "Tepig, charge Drilbur!" Tepig obliged, and rushed towards the Mole Pokémon, shouting a fierce battle cry.

Drilbur wasn't worried by the sudden charge. It retaliated by boring a hole into the ground. Tepig skidded to a halt, and looked around, wondering where it went.

"It used Dig!" Teresa shouted, even though Milo had already realized this.

The pebbles beneath Tepig began shaking ever so slightly. Tepig didn't notice, but Milo spotted it with a sharp battle eye. "Watch out, Tepig! Drilbur's beneath you!"

Tepig was too late, and Drilbur propelled itself out of the ground, hitting Tepig on the belly with a powerful Metal Claw attack. Tepig cried out in pain, and slid back to Milo. Drilbur rushed towards Tepig, its claws ready for another powerful strike.

"Tepig! Use your Ember attack!" Milo yelled, ready to take out the Drilbur. Tepig shakily climbed to its feet, and obeyed Milo's order. It breathed in deeply before releasing a stream of fire red embers from its nose.

As Drilbur's claws were still in a metal-like state, they heated up from the Ember attack, though normally the Ground Type wouldn't have been affected much. It stopped its advance, and hopped around, blowing on its claws in attempt to cool them down.

Milo took this opening, and whipped a Poké Ball at it. Drilbur was encased in red light, and it was sucked into the red and white mechanical ball. Everyone held their breath in anticipation, but Drilbur burst out of the Poké Ball immediately, which sent the ball flying smack dab into Milo's face.

The boy began cursing in frustration as he pried the PokéBall off of his face. "Holy Mew, that hurt like mad!" He shook a fist wildly at Drilbur, and continued a string of colourful curses.

The Drilbur covered its mouth with its claws while it sniggered, amused at the sight of an angry Milo.

"Milo! Get a hold of your emotions!" Scarlett called out. "You can't let them take control in a battle!"

Tepig was furious at Drilbur for angering its Trainer, and without Milo's direction, it attacked the Drilbur with a Tackle attack. As Tepig built up speed, the Tackle turned into a new attack.

"Oh my goodness," Teresa whispered. "Is that…"

Scarlett gasped. "I think it is! Tepig learned Flame Charge!"

Tepig cried out, ready to run Drilbur over. Its body was encased in bright red flames, and they burned with a passion unlike any that the group had seen before.

The Drilbur wasn't expecting the attack, and so it was struck head-on by Tepig's Flame Charge. It was sent flying into a tree, and it slid down the trunk in shock and surprise.

Milo saw the whole exchange, and so he was ready with the Poké Ball. He threw it, praying that it would work this time. Drilbur was sucked into the Poké Ball once again, but it didn't break out immediately. The ball rocked back and forth three times, before resounding with a 'ping!'

Milo did a small celebratory dance, forgetting about his knee. He fell down on the ground, moaning in pain and at how dumb he was for forgetting.

The girls made their way over to Milo as the battle had been won. There wasn't a need for hiding anymore. "You sure are whiny today, aren't you?" Teresa remarked lightly.

Tepig trotted over to its trainer, and poked him in the head, asking if Milo was all right.

Milo patted the Fire Pig Pokémon on the head, thankful for its loyalty. "I'm fine. Now," he reached for Drilbur's Poké Ball, and managed to snag it between his fingers. "Drilbur, come on out!"

Drilbur was not happy with its new Trainer. It hadn't expected to be caught by such an amateur. It turned its head away in a huff.

Milo sighed heavily. "Drilbur, I just want to be your friend. I wish you wouldn't be so moody."

"Maybe it will warm up to you eventually," Teresa suggested in what she assumed was in a helpful manner. Milo dubiously looked at Drilbur, who shook its head no before sticking its tongue out at its Trainer disrespectfully.

Scarlett shrugged. "Then again, maybe not."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter 1 of 3 in the Chapter Burst!<strong>

**This one will probably be one of the shortest chapters I'll write for this story. Don't worry, this is merely a filler for some minor character development.**

**_Notes/Questions to Consider:_**  
><strong><em>1. Why didn't Milo recognize Drilbur? He's hung around Ash's daughter for a longer time than Teresa has, and yet he's the one who knows the least out of the three of them!<em>****_  
><em>**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Stay tuned!**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	11. Double Triple Threat!

**AN: As promised, I would upload the full chapter in the middle of the week.**

**I will be away on a magical journey next week, and the week after that is the last week of school. Don't expect an update for 2-3 weeks...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon, and I never will. If I did, the following shippings would be canon...**

**-Anime-  
>Amourshipping<strong>  
><strong>Contestshipping<strong>  
><strong>Penguinshipping<br>****  
><span>-PokeSpe-<span>  
>Specialshipping<br>****Oldrivalshipping  
><strong>**Mangaquestshipping  
><strong>**Franticshipping (I would make a scene where I prove it, and that Ruby didn't 'forget'.)  
><strong>**Commonershipping  
><strong>**Agencyshipping**

**That is all...**

**Probably forgot one...**

* * *

><p>Teresa gasped in surprise as the group hiked their way across the top of the hill. The view was splendid, and the sun had just risen, spilling a spectacular array of golds and reds across the city's high rise buildings. "We're finally here in Striaton City!"<p>

Scarlett shared her friend's feelings of astonishment, and she eagerly scanned the area with her hand to her forehead to block out the sun's intense rays. "It's beautiful!"

Unable to control the impulse to break into a sprint, Milo charged down the hill at a breakneck pace. The wind shoved his messy brown hair away from his face, and he shouted in elation as he rushed into the city proper. The girls did their best to keep up with him, carefully picking their way down the hill in hopes of not tripping and suffering from a bad tumble.

Milo skidded to a halt as soon as the buildings began rising up in height. He gazed around, not knowing what to do next.

Not used to the sudden exercise, Teresa bent over with her hands on her knees, panting in exertion. Scarlett headed up the rear, finishing the unexpected run at a steady jog.

"What's wrong, Milo?" Scarlett smirked, knowing full well what was on his mind.

Milo turned around to face her, bashfully scratching his head. "I don't know where the Gym is."

Scarlett did a facepalm, before muttering, "Oh, that's so typical of Milo." She then proceeded to pull out her PokéNav to check where the Striaton Gym was located. She pressed a few buttons, and the PokéNav hummed loudly as it located the group's desired location. A single '_beep_' indicated that it was ready, and a red dot flashed continuously on the screen, pinpointing the Gym's location.

"It says that the Gym is close to the Striaton Market," Teresa peered over Scarlett's shoulder at the tiny map. "Too bad it doesn't say exactly where the Gym is."

"Well, I know that the market is in the centre of the city," Scarlett tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That's what my dad told me."

"Then let's just go to the centre of the city and orient ourselves from there on," Teresa suggested, used to being the brains of the group.

Milo began walking again, but at a much slower pace than before, much to the girls' relief.

The buildings gradually elevated in height as they reached the centre of the city, with skyscrapers that seemingly touched the clouds. Market stands lined up on the sides of the street, with each seller enthusiastically trying to persuade a customer to come to their stand and to take a look at their merchandise.

"This place is just buzzing with life!" Teresa squealed excitedly before hurrying to check out a stand that had books on Pokémon. She hurried back to the group, clutching a new book titled, _'Strategies Used in Pokémon Battling: Analyzed'_.

"Hey, now. This isn't a shopping trip." Milo pried the book from Teresa's hands and shoved it into his backpack. Teresa let out a small noise of protest at Milo for not properly taking care of her book. "We have to find the Striaton Gym!"

"We should ask someone who looks like they live in Striaton City," Scarlett pointed out before she scanned the crowd of people, trying to pick out the most likely candidates. Nodding firmly, she chose her target.

Scarlett walked up to a woman who was carefully selecting rare berries at a cart and asked her, "Excuse me, ma'am? Do you know where the Striaton Gym is located?"

The woman turned around, her ringlets bouncing up and down. "As a matter of fact, I do." The woman hoisted up her overflowing basket of berries and hurriedly paid the vendor. She then pointed down the road, further into the centre of the city. "Just keep following this road. At the second intersection you see, make a right turn. You won't be able to miss it." The woman eyes glinted knowingly. "So who's challenging the gym? Are you?"

"Me and my friends…" Scarlett pointed over her shoulder at Milo and Teresa. Teresa shyly wiggled her fingers, and Milo moved his arms around like a madman. "…are all planning on challenging the Striaton Gym!"

The woman lightly laughed. "Oh, is that so? That's perfect! I wish all of you the best of luck, then." The woman began walking out of the marketplace.

"Thank you very much!" Scarlett shouted after the woman's retreating figure. She turned to her friends. "Who wants to take part in a Gym Battle?"

Without a word, Milo dashed off in the direction the woman told them to go in. He was itching for his first Gym Battle.

"Hey, hold on a minute!" Scarlett chased after Milo. "I didn't mean right now!"

Teresa sighed, not wanting to run again. Left with little choice, she began jogging slowly after her friends, hoping to conserve her energy for the battle.

The woman who gave the group directions to the Gym turned around and removed her glasses. She had wanted to come with them to the Gym, but she thought that might have been too stalkerish. "Now is the perfect time for me to say hello to the Striaton Triplets. I haven't paid them a visit for a long time."

* * *

><p>The group headed down the stone tiled path with four tall and imposing marble columns shadowing them. They stopped in front of the door, which stretched much higher than their heads. Teresa awkwardly reached her hand up to knock on the door, but Milo beat her to it. He threw the doors open wide, as if the Gym was his own home. The doors clanged loudly, as Milo had shoved them with so much force that they hit the walls. Scarlett and Teresa both winced; Scarlett at the noise and Teresa at Milo's rudeness.<p>

Milo announced, "All right! I can't wait for this Gym Battle!" His excitement was cut short as he realized that there wasn't a battlefield in sight.

Quiet entertainment music played in the background, and the gentle clatter of plates and cups could be heard over the chatter of customers. They all stopped immediately after Milo declared his intentions. The silence then turned into annoyed whispers.

"What on earth is that boy talking about?" One girl hissed to her two friends.

"I have no clue what he's going on about! It's lunchtime!" Another nudged her friend, who nodded in reply.

A man who was dressed like a waiter walked up to Milo, and politely asked, "Are you here for lunch?"

Scarlett opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short by Milo's snarky whisper, "This sure doesn't look like a Gym to me. It's more like a-" He was cut off by two other waiters, who obviously pretended not to hear Milo's antagonizing comment.

They hurriedly escorted the girls to an empty table, completely ignoring Milo. Milo harrumphed before following the waiters with his arms crossed. He sat down at the table with a huff. "I'm not here for-"

He's cut off again as a red-haired waiter practically shoved the menu in front of Scarlett's face. "Such lovely young ladies like yourselves would just adore these new additions to the menu!"

Scarlett shook her hands, planning to say that they weren't here for lunch, but she didn't get the chance to. The other blue-haired waiter who escorted them to the table added to the confusion. "May I suggest trying…"

The two waiters then began bombarding the girls with their latest options and the most popular picks by their customers. The girls helplessly refused each choice, trying their best to edge a word in. The green-haired waiter calmly stood off to the side with a notepad and a freshly sharpened pencil poised over the paper, ready to record their order.

Milo was completely ignored, and was getting more and more frustrated by the second. He suddenly stood up and pounded his hands flat on the table. The chair scraped across the red carpet, causing the friction to almost ignite the wooden chair. "I'm here for a Gym Battle, not a full course meal!" he shouted in fury, his sea green eyes burning intensely.

Scarlett took the opening, pushing her chair out from under herself quickly before proclaiming, "Me too."

Teresa sighed in relief, glad that the bombardment of options was stopped. She said nothing, as she still wasn't certain she wanted to challenge the Gym.

The customers in the room froze at Milo's statement, and they began whispering to each other. One girl whispered loudly to everyone, "Did that boy say a Gym Battle?"

Another rubbed her hands together in glee. "Oh, this will be good! There hasn't been a decent challenger in ages!"

The green-haired waiter firmly set his notepad and pencil on the table while raising his eyebrows. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Milo rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You didn't let us have the chance to talk. Now, who is the Gym Leader?"

The waiters outright ignored his outburst. The truth was that they had already known the group wanted to challenge the Gym. Ever since a certain incident many years ago, this had become a standard of theirs. They loved tripping up challengers, as a test to see if they were truly serious about their challenge. Their customers were more than happy to assist them by acting the part of annoyed customers.

The green-haired waiter smiled before he and the other waiters posed in front of a wall. He then snapped his fingers. "All right then! We'll grant your request!"

The red-haired waiter rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So you're all challengers? Then you'll receive a welcome as pleasant and hot as the noonday sun!"

The blue-haired waiter shook his head in disagreement. "No, I think we should be cool. Like a refreshing glass of water. Chilled, of course."

Scarlett and Teresa's eyes batted back and forth between the waiters, thoroughly dazed and confused. "What on Earth are they talking about?" Teresa whisper-asked Scarlett.

Scarlett didn't know what was happening either, though she would have known the most about Gyms out of the group. Her dad told her that a Gym Leader named Cilan had traveled with him through Unova with an aspiring Dragon Master named Iris. But Scarlett didn't remember what they looked like, as she had been only a few hours old when Ash's old traveling companions and friends visited the hospital in Viridian City where she was born. As far as she was concerned, any male Gym Leader in Unova could have been named Cilan! And he might not even be a Gym Leader anymore.

Milo was the only one who voiced his opinions out loud. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

The green-haired waiter cleared his throat for emphasis. "This is the Striaton Gym."

The red-haired waiter continued, "And the three of us…"

"We're triplet brothers," the blue-haired waiter finished for him.

"And we're the Gym Leaders," all three of them said in unison.

"No way! You're the Gym Leaders?" Milo asked in disbelief. He scanned the three men, unable to comprehend that the well-dressed men were Gym Leaders. Up until now, he had thought most Gym Leaders were energetic and full to bursting with energy.

Upon realizing something important, he groaned, "Aw, man! There're three Gym Leaders? I have to fight all of them?"

Still ignoring him, the green-haired Gym Leader continued with their introduction. "Now it's…"

"Show time!" All three of the brothers gestured towards the wall, which began to slide into a slot hidden beneath the floor. Once the wall disappeared beneath the floor, the trio of Trainers were ushered into the stadium which held the battlefield. Rough brown rocks randomly littered the dirt, making it a difficult place for battling Pokémon to navigate.

High above the battlefield, the customers, all of whom were girls, rushed onto the balcony in cheerleader outfits. They cheered loudly for the Gym Leaders, chanting terribly cheesy rhymes and words of encouragement.

Behind the group of cheering girls, the mysterious woman the group met in the marketplace ascended the stairs. She quickly separated herself from the throng of screaming fangirls, opting to stay on the side of the balcony opposite to the girls. She leaned on the railing of the balcony and quietly remarked, "This will surely be a spectacular battle, filled with just the right combinations of sugar and spice. I can't wait."

* * *

><p>After thoroughly breathing in the battlefield, Milo faced the three Gym Leaders. "Do I have to battle all three of you to gain the badge?"<p>

"Of course not!" Scarlett cut in for the Gym Leaders. "In the Striaton Gym, challengers can pick which Gym Leader they want to face."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you know this?" The blue-haired Gym Leader inquired.

"I learned from my dad. He challenged this Gym two decades ago, and he chose to challenge all three of you!" Scarlett proudly posed. "I wanted to do the same when I finally got the chance to challenge you, but now I have an even better idea!"

She gathered her friends into a group huddle, while the triplets stood together, thoroughly confused.

The one with red hair scratched his head, racking his brain for people who had challenged their Gym. "I don't remember someone challenging all three of us. That must have been a really long time ago."

The blue-haired man nodded in agreement with his brother. "My memories of Gym Battles that were fought a long time ago are quite fuzzy."

The green-haired brother wasn't listening in to his brothers' conversation, but was instead mulling over what the girl had told them. He had his chin supported by his fingers, and he began to think. He began piecing the puzzle together, and gasped as he came to a startling conclusion. He then looked at Scarlett's fiery orange hair and bright green eyes. The man pondered out loud, "It couldn't be. If it's her, she's grown so much."

His brothers stopped debating and looked directly at their brother's face. "You looked like you've just seen a ghost. Who, Cilan?" The blue-haired waiter asked urgently.

Cilan muttered just loud enough for his brothers to hear his next sentence. "That girl, I think she's Scarlett Ketchum."

His brothers both gasped. "Are you sure, Cilan?" Cress lost his usual calm demeanor. "Her hair changed colour!"

"She's so tall now!" Chili yelped. "And she's going to be as beautiful as her mother!"

"I bet she's just as good of a battler as her dad." Cress declared firmly.

"I bet she's even better!" Chili decided.

Cilan stared at the young girl in amazement. The last time he and his brothers had seen her was at the conference for the Unova League. The young girl had decided to tag along with the new Champion, and had proudly announced to all of the Gym Leaders who she was. The new Champion had been utterly embarrassed, as he hadn't noticed the girl follow him. "I think it really is her. But we'll see."

* * *

><p>From within the group huddle, Milo asked Scarlett, "Did your dad really battle all three of them? I only knew he won the Badge."<p>

Scarlett confirmed it with a nod. "Yup! That's what I wanted to do as well, but now I have a better idea."

Teresa quickly caught Scarlett's drift. "I understand! There are three of them…"

Scarlett smiled, glad that Teresa realized what she meant. "…and three of us! What else can we do but a…"

Both girls shouted in unison, "Triple Battle!"

The triplets heard the girls shout and made their way over. Cress asked, "Have you decided how you wish to challenge us?"

Milo nods. "It wasn't my idea, but we want to battle you in a Triple Battle, one Pokémon per person."

The triplets shared a look, before all of them nodded once. Cilan turned to the group, "We gladly accept your challenge."

Milo hooted and hollered, completely fired up. This offended the fangirls slightly. "That young man is so unrefined," one of them whispered, disgusted with the way Milo had been acting so far.

The mysterious woman overheard their protests and merely smiled. "The young man's spirit is similar to a raging fire, filled with passion and enthusiasm. I rather like it, strange as it may be." The woman began making her way down to the floor level where the battlefield was. "He reminds me of someone else I knew."

* * *

><p>The triplets stood on their usual side whenever a challenger appeared, and the group on the opposite. The Gym Leaders all had a Poké Ball in hand.<p>

"As Gym Leaders, it's only right that we show our Pokémon to trainers who have less than 2 badges. Since none of you have any up your sleeves, we'll offer you a chance to strategize and plan accordingly." Cress made his Poké Ball larger in his hand, and called out his Pokémon, a small tadpole. "Make a splash, Tympole!"

Not wanting to be left behind, Chili threw his Poké Ball onto the field as well. "All right, Darumaka! Heat's on! Let's show 'em what you've got!"

"Here we go, my partner! Cottonee!" Cilan released his Pokémon too, and all three Pokémon stood (or hovered) on the field.

Teresa nervously looked at Scarlett, who was standing in the middle of the group. Her fingers clenched onto Oshawott's Poké Ball tightly. "Do you really think we can beat them?"

Milo overheard Teresa's worries and winked, "Have a little faith, won't you? The battle hasn't started yet!"

Scarlett stared the Gym Leaders down. "We've got this in the bag."

But upon realizing something very important, Milo shouted, "Hey, wait a minute! We can't have a battle without a referee!"

Cress pointed his thumb to the cheering fangirls on the balcony. "We could, ask one of the lovely ladies up there for assistance?"

The fangirls began squealing with the possibility of refereeing a battle for the Striaton Triplets. "Oh, pick me, please!" one girl shouted.

"I'm an experienced Trainer!" another girl declared proudly.

Another girl cupped her hands around her mouth before yelling, "I love you, Chili!"

Chili awkwardly ignored the last comment, though his brothers couldn't help but snicker slightly at Chili's predicament.

Before the brothers could decide who should referee the battle, the mysterious woman stepped forward. "I'd be willing to referee this battle." All available eyes went to her. The group recognized her as the woman from the market.

Milo whispered to his friends, "That's the woman from the market!"

Teresa nodded in agreement. "What's she doing here? Does she know the Gym Leaders?"

Teresa's inference turned out to be correct when Cilan's spring green eyes widened in recognition.

The woman smiled, glad to be recognized. "How are you, Cilan?"

Before Cilan could reply, Scarlett yelped loudly and pointed at the green-haired Gym Leader. "You're Cilan? My dad travelled with you a long time ago!"

"Aha! You were right, Cilan!" Chili congratulated his brother. "I guess those 'Detective Connoisseur' skills were put to good use for once."

"Is your name Scarlett?" Cilan asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, it is!" Scarlett was slightly offended that he had to check it was her.

After getting over his shock over seeing Scarlett again after ten years, he was shocked again when he remembered Burgundy was still standing only a few metres away from him. He turned to his old rival. "What brings you here, Burgundy?"

Chili and Cress both vaguely remembered her challenging the Gym twice before. But both times had been long ago, and the brothers' memory of the feisty purple-haired girl was fuzzy.

Burgundy had grown in height and was almost as tall as the brothers, who all were very tall. Her hair that had been cut in a neat bob twenty years ago was now in ringlets, and if one were to pull on the end of her hair, they would discover her purple hair went to her waist. Her lilac eyes had deepened in colour and were now a dark violet. And all of the triplets couldn't help but notice how pretty the woman was.

She shrugged, "Oh, I had no particular reason. I was just feeling nostalgic, and I was also looking for a few rare ingredients to use in a recipe. I happened to be nearby in Nacrene City, and the Striaton Market popped into my head. I met the kids challenging you in the market, and they asked me for directions to the Gym. I thought now would be a perfect time to visit, while a Gym Battle was happening."

Milo eyed Burgundy carefully, not knowing what to make of the woman. "She sneaked up on us, didn't she? I didn't notice anyone following us!"

Teresa shushed him. "That's not polite! Mind your manners!" She did have her own doubts about Burgundy. Why hadn't she told them she was headed that way, too?

Cress bowed politely to Burgundy. "Well, I suppose a well respected Trainer and A- Class Pokémon Conassuisse would make a fine referee."

The fangirls on the balcony all sobbed dramatically, upset at not being chosen as the referee.

Burgundy stepped up to the side of battlefield after snatching the red and green flags from their holding spot on a post. "This Striaton City Gym Battle is about to begin. All three Gym Leaders, Cress, Cilan and Chili, will battle the challengers…" She paused, not knowing their names.

"I'm Milo," Milo grinned before sticking his chest out proudly.

"My name is Teresa," Teresa said politely.

"And my name is Scarlett Ketchum."

Burgundy was taken aback when she learnt that the girl herself confirmed that she was Ash's daughter. _Ash was so dense it's kind of amazing that he now has a daughter,_ she thought while shaking her head.

"…the challengers Teresa, Milo and Scarlett. This will be a triple battle, with each person using only one Pokémon. The battle will be over when one side has no Pokémon standing. Is everyone ready?"

Milo hollered appreciatively, glad the battle would finally start.

Scarlett followed him, enthusiastically shouting, "Yes!"

Teresa merely nodded, not one for whooping or shouting.

Cress and Cilan both nodded, and Chili gave Burgundy a thumbs up.

She brought her arms down in a cross-like shape, red and green flags fluttering furiously, matching how everyone on the battlefield felt in their hearts. Exhilaration and determination. "Then, begin!"

Teresa confidently decided, "I'll take on Cress!" She took out the only Poké Ball she had. "Oshawott, please help me out!"

Milo devilishly smirked, "Then I've got Chili!"

Chili gave Milo a thumbs up, eager to see what the young Trainer would have in store.

"That leaves me with Cilan." Scarlett said while sizing up his Cottonee. _Using Snivy gives me no advantage, and neither does using Riolu, _she thought strategy-wise. _Both will only dish out half the damage to Cottonee. I'll have to use random selection._

She turned to Milo, with her hands holding the Poké Balls of Riolu and Snivy. "Hey, Milo? Left or right?"

Milo grinned briefly before sending out Tepig, "Left, of course!"

"All right, then!" Scarlett cried out in her battle voice. She felt that she was ready to take on anything the triplets dished out. "Riolu, I choose you!"

Riolu appeared instantly, and moved its body into a 'ready' stance.

"Ah! It's such a rare and wonderful sight to see a Riolu in the Unova region! Not only are they rare in their region of origin, they are even rarer in Unova!" Cilan said in a quick evaluation of Riolu. "And this one has a fighting spirit unlike any Riolu I've ever seen."

Riolu nervously glanced back at Scarlett. _That man is weird. Can I trust him and those others? _It gestured up at the spectators cheering on the balcony.

Scarlett was brutally reminded of Riolu's distrust of humans, and she promptly shoved the horrid memory to the back of her mind. But traces of it lingered, from the rough shouts of humans to Riolu's terrified whimpers. She chided herself that she had to remain strong, for Riolu's sake.

Firmly grabbing the memory, she shoved it into a dark box and threw away the key, for now, at least. "It's fine," Scarlett soothed. "He's a Gym Leader, as well as his brothers standing next to him. The spectators…if the Gym Leaders trust them, then I do too."

_Well, I suppose._ Riolu let out a sigh, and growled in anticipation for the battle.

Burgundy watched the Riolu with great interest. "That Riolu…it's something else. It doesn't seem to have the innocence of other baby Pokémon."

* * *

><p>Being bold, Scarlett took the first move to try and gain a fast advantage for her team. "Riolu! Use Quick Attack on Cottonee!"<p>

Riolu rushed forward immediately under its Trainer's order, kicking up dust and loose dirt as it built up speed. _We'll beat you Gym Leaders for sure! _It cried out defiantly, but everyone other than Scarlett only heard three sharp barks.

Cilan quickly countered by having Cottonee dodge into the path of Cress's Tympole with only a flick of a wrist, proving how close he and his Cottonee were. All three brothers were experienced Trainers, having battled challengers seven days a week for almost twenty five years. They had to tone their level down for rookies and beginners, but often used one advanced technique to see how well the challengers would respond.

The two brothers shared a look of understanding before they began their advanced strategy. Cress quickly called out, "Tympole, blast Cottonee straight at Oshawott using Bubble!"

Tympole complied, and Cottonee headed straight for the Sea Otter Pokémon. While the strategy might have been risky, the brothers trusted each other and their Pokémon to pull it off. The plus was that Grass types were strong against Water types, which meant the low damage-dealing Bubble was even less effective than usual.

"All right, Cottonee, use Leech Seed!" Cilan commanded the Cotton Puff Pokémon.

While flying at Oshawott, Cottonee gathered up energy, before it shot a small, glowing seed at Oshawott's head. Strong green vines sprouted from the seed and began entangling the little blue otter. It started draining Oshawott's energy quickly and effectively.

Teresa gasped, not knowing what to do next. "Oshawott, oh no!"

Oshawott fell onto its' knees as a red glow surrounded its body, sapping its strength.

"Please get up!" Teresa cried out, flustered.

The poor otter tried to, but this ultimately made it worse. Oshawott wailed in discomfort before falling onto its stomach.

* * *

><p>Turning her head slightly, Scarlett saw the whole exchange. She motioned for Milo to make his move on Darumaka immediately while she dealt with Cress' Tympole.<p>

Milo shouted his first move, "Tepig! Use Flame Charge on Darumaka!"

Tepig snorted a few embers before charging at the Zen Charm Pokémon. Tepig's body became encased in a wild fire that increased in intensity the closer it came to its desired target.

With a mere snap from its Trainer, Darumaka cleverly rolled out of harm's way, snickering as Tepig crashed violently into the rock that was behind it.

Tepig danced around with jelly legs, its bone structure rattling from the sudden smack into the rock. It shook its head to clear it of the Torchics, before it pawed the ground angrily.

Milo cursed under his breath. "No way in _hell_ did that happen." It was a habit he was used to as Teresa always scolded him about swearing in public.

Chili smirked confidently, realizing the Trainer across from him was much like his old self. He charged into a battle without much of a strategy in mind. "Now what will you do, challenger?"

Noticing Milo order Tepig to attack, Scarlett nodded in satisfaction. "Quick Attack!"

Riolu obeyed without hesitation, crashing into Tympole at an extremely high speed. Tympole bounced onto the ground, crying out in pain.

Cress bit his lip in sympathy for the tiny Pokémon. "Your Riolu is awfully agile, and it listens to your every command without hesitation. How long have you been partners?"

Scarlett grinned as Riolu, seemingly without a verbal or physical order, attacked the dazed Tympole with a Sky Uppercut. "Only three days, I think."

Cress was at a loss for words as Tympole was batted back and forth by one Sky Uppercut after another.

Burgundy's eyes widened from off of the battlefield. The woman sat on a bench off on the side, unwilling to stand for the whole battle. "Three days to become so in synch with each other? It couldn't be possible!"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, things were taking a turn for the worse for Teresa. Cottonee had finally finished leeching Oshawott's energy, and the otter Pokémon collapsed on the ground, completely exhausted.<p>

Teresa was almost in tears. "Oshawott! You have to get up! Please, please get up!"

"Teresa!" Scarlett shouted from beside Teresa, never turning her eyes away from her battle with Cress. "Use your head! You're the best strategist out of the three of us! Stay focused!"

Realizing her friend was right, Teresa took a deep breath to try and regain her orientation. She looked at the battlefield, and her mouth dropped in shock. She hadn't been paying attention and so she hadn't realized how desperate the situation had become.

"Cottonee, it's time to unleash the power of your Razor Leaf!"

Cottonee gathered up the energy it stole form Oshawott and prepared for the final assault.

Teresa had no choice but to act quickly. She whipped strands of her loose blonde hair out of her face. "Oshawott, you have to use your scalchop! Use it to deflect the Razor Leaf!

Hearing its Trainer's command, Oshawott weakly held up its scalchop just as a powerful Razor Leaf was unleashed.

* * *

><p>Milo growled in frustration at his own battle with Chili. He looked over at Scarlett, who practically owned Cress' Tympole by having Riolu bat it back and forth using Sky Uppercut. It was a wonder Tympole hadn't been knocked out yet. It was much tougher than it appeared.<p>

His mind was snapped back to reality by Chili's voice. "So Milo, do you give up?"

Tepig fell to the ground after being hit with Darumaka's Rollout for the third consecutive time.

Milo gnashed his teeth together. "I'll never quit! Not until I've finished the job!"

Suddenly, a massive fire roared to life from within Tepig, and it stood up, more determined than ever.

Milo recognized the fire as Tepig's Blaze ability. "We're going all out! Tackle!"

Tepig charged into the attack, and then Milo ordered, "Now Flame Charge!"

The flame surrounding Tepig burned super hot and bright, almost white in colour, and Tepig crashed into Darumaka with full force. The fire blacked out, and Tepig snorted embers before trotting back to its side of the field.

Darumaka had been completely floored by the intelligent and intense Tackle/Flame Charge combo move.

Milo quickly turned his attention to Teresa, who was having the most trouble out of all of them. He noticed Cilan's Cottonee gearing up for an attack on Oshawott. The otter Pokémon raised its scalchop weakly in defence.

* * *

><p>Scarlett's attention was caught by Cottonee, who was preparing for a powerful Razor Leaf on the fallen Oshawott.<p>

Cress took advantage of her distraction. "Supersonic, Tympole!" The tadpole responded with a massive ear-splitting noise.

Scarlett clapped her hands over her ears. "Riolu! Use your Quick Attack to escape the Supersonic! Go to Oshawott!"

Riolu clamped its paws over its highly sensitive ears before racing to Cottonee to assist Oshawott._ Man, that's loud! Turn your freaking voicebox down a notch!_

Seeing this, Cilan merely called out, "Cotton Spore!"

Pieces of Cottonee's fluffy hide expelled form its body, and they quickly multiplied. The field was covered with floating balls of cotton, obscuring the view of those who may have wanted to disturb Cottonee's attack. A blue light flashed from inside the cotton spores, followed by the sound of blades cutting through air. The razor-edged leaves created a strong gust, which forced the fluffy cotton balls to disperse.

In the middle of the cotton spores, a triumphant Cottonee hovered over the unconscious Oshawott. The Sea Otter's scalchop was scattered a few inches away from its paw, encased in a pointed blue forcefield.

Teresa's face fell as she realized she lost. "Oshawott! Are you okay?"

"Osha…" Oshawott groaned from its sprawled position on the ground.

Teresa dejectedly took out her PokéBall. "I'm sorry, Oshawott. This loss is my fault." Oshawott was sucked back into its PokéBall in a red light. "Please take a good rest."

Scarlett bit her lip in agitation. "We're down one, but they're also down one. And Cottonee isn't breaking a sweat! I think it's time for us to _use that move_."

Scarlett glances over, willing for Milo to understand, before she telepathically ordered Riolu, _use the move_.

Milo understood what Scarlett meant, and together they both fist pumped, Milo with his right arm and Scarlett with her left. "It's time to use… the Scarlett-Milo Combo!"

Teresa squealed in excitement, knowing exactly what the remaining Gym Leaders had to face.. "Oh, hurray! You'll beat them for sure!"

Cilan slightly frowned. Whatever this attack was, he didn't think it would be easy to beat. These kids just kept throwing surprise after surprise onto the battlefield. He hadn't expected for them to last this long, and from his brothers' slightly worried expressions, they were as well. "What's this?"

Teresa giggled in a slightly creepy manner, which raised the hairs on the backs of Cress and Cilan's necks. "You'll see."

Riolu ran up to Tepig, and grabbed its head in its paws. It began running in a circular fashion, until the force of the pair spinning like a top balanced out and the two Pokémon looked like a whirling hurricane of destruction.

When Scarlett and Milo deemed the spinning to be of great enough speed, they ordered their Pokémon to use "Force Palm!" and "Flame Charge!" respectively.

Both Pokémon tensed from within the tornado of destruction, waiting for their Trainer's final signal.

Scarlett and Milo both shouted "Go!" at the same time, and Riolu slammed Tympole into the ground with a Force Palm whose power was augmented by the speed of the 'Scarlett/Milo Combo'. Tepig crashed into Cottonee, with its Flame Charge burning at full force, singeing the Cotton Puff Pokémon's fluff.

The field exploded in rocks and dust from the impact of the attacks. Tympole and Cottonee were immediately knocked out, as Tympole had already suffered multiple hits from Riolu's Sky Uppercut, and Cottonee was extremely weak against Fire Types.

* * *

><p>"And that's that!" Burgundy shouted over the roar of the wind. With one hand, she pressed her skirt down to prevent it from flying up. With the other, she held her glasses onto her face. "This Gym Battle goes to the challengers!" As a side remark, she snidely said, "Cilan didn't get a chance to use his 'evaluating time'."<p>

As soon as the dust cleared, the trio shared high fives all around, with Teresa and Scarlett hugging each other. Tepig and Riolu lightly headbutted each other, before touching noses in excitement. They'd done it! They'd won their first Unova Gym Badge!

_That was amazing, Scarlett! I had so much fun! _Riolu shouted before running straight into Scarlett's arms. Scarlett laughed, and spun the blue Fighting type around and around.

"Those kids sure were good!" Chili remarked, rolling up his undershirt's sleeves. "No one's beat any of us for a while now, right brothers?"

"You are indeed correct, Chili," A small smile stretched across Cress's face, and from an inner vest pocket, he removed three badges. "I believe these belong to you." He handed them to his brothers, who then handed one each to the group, with Teresa receiving hers from Cress, Milo from Chili, and Scarlett from Cilan.

Milo smiled, before he pinned it to the inside of his jacket. "That was a great battle! Thank you."

Chili shook his head. "Thank you, for being such a tough opponent. You've got a long way to go, but you'll get there!"

Scarlett opened her Badge Case and carefully popped the Trio Badge into its rightful position; the first spot. It was, in fact, the one that Ash himself had used on his journey through Unova.

Teresa gently fingered the badge's three enamel gems before she clipped it onto her backpack. Guilt pumped from Teresa's heart throughout her body. She didn't think that she deserved the badge, as she had done almost nothing to help her friends earn it. If anything, she believed that Scarlett deserved the Trio badge the most.

She thought for a while, and made up her mind. She would keep the badge, but…"I have come to a decision to not do Gym Battles ever again." She paused, carefully thinking over her next words. "I really did enjoy today's battle, but I found I was nervous even after the battle started. Usually, I only get nervous prior to the battle. I was unable to battle to the best of my ability today."

Cress nodded in understanding. "It is upsetting when one cannot battle to his or her best, isn't it? I'm sure we will all respect your decision."

Burgundy shrugged lightly, and elegant roll of her shoulders, which she had been practicing for a long time. "Perhaps you'll find where your heart truly lies at another time."

"Thank you for the Gym Battle. It was a great experience." Teresa bowed her head again, with Scarlett following her example.

"Sure was," Milo said. Teresa was about to tell him to be more polite, but decided against it.

"Oh, right! I should give you this." Cilan dug around in his pockets, before procuring a purple pen-like object. "This is very special to me, and I used it when I travelled with your dad. I want you to keep it, and use it." He handed it to Scarlett, who accepted the object. She stowed it in her fanny pack, which was almost filled to the brim with items of importance to her.

"Hey, that's your old fishing rod!" Chili exclaimed. "You sure you want to give it away?"

"I don't use it anymore, so I thought Scarlett, Milo and Teresa might put it to better use."

Burgundy fake-whispered to Scarlett, "Be thankful you won't have to see Cilan's 'Fishing Connoisseur' act."

Cilan pouted in a child-like way, pretending to be hurt, and everyone laughed heartily. After a while, he relented and laughed along too, their laughs filling the battlefield. Even Riolu sniggered, thought it didn't fully understanding the joke.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There sure was a lot of perspective switching in that chapter... <strong>

**How was the battle? Too long? Too short? If you have a critique (or compliment), please let me know!  
><strong>**_  
>NotesQuestions to Consider:  
><em>****_N/A, unless the readers can think of something!_**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Stay tuned!**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


	12. A Clash of Ideals

**AN: Okay, I really don't have too many excuses for why I didn't update, other than... Life.**

**Hey, what can you do when you were in a schooling system different from everyone else's for 5 years and suddenly plunked back into the original schooling system, but in a totally new school environment?**

**Disclaimer: I am not afflicted with Pokémon or other official derivatives.**

* * *

><p>After bidding Burgundy goodbye, the triplets began throwing question after question at Scarlett, Milo, and Teresa. They diligently answered each one.<p>

"So, Scarlett. How are Ash and Serena?" Cilan inquired. He hadn't received a postcard from Ash for quite some time, so naturally that was the first thought that left his mouth.

"They're both great, and Pikachu is fine, too." Scarlett plastered a smile on her face, hoping it was convincing enough. She had no doubt that her mother was all right both physically and mentally, but emotionally, she wasn't so sure.

"Who're you challenging next?" Chili grinned at Milo, who was only too happy to reply. Teresa rolled her eyes, wondering if the only thing guys thought about were Pokémon battles.

"We're going to Nacrene City to challenge the Gym there!" Milo half-screamed, causing everyone surrounding him to cover their ears in haste.

"Oh, really?" Chili nudged Cress lightly with his eyebrows raised. "You'll have a blast. That Gym's pretty challenging right now…Did you know they're grooming a new Gym Leader?"

"I did!" Teresa interrupted abruptly. "According to the media coverage, she's the daughter of the current Gym Leader. They disclosed the girl's name, but they said she was the perfect candidate."

Cress nodded in agreement. "Ah, I have met Lenora's daughter once," he paused slightly, wincing as he remembered the chance meeting. "She's a very spirited girl, let's leave it at that."

"So she's gonna be hard to beat?" Milo had found his first Gym Battle exhausting to the core. His mind was totally blown at how well Chili and his Darumaka had worked together. He didn't want to go through it again.

Scarlett wasn't fazed at all, and instead she fist pumped before declaring, "I'm all for a challenge!"

Her friends shook their heads in wonderment. Both Teresa and Milo couldn't comprehend how Scarlett was always up for a challenge, even when said challenge was unnecessary.

_'Ring-a-ling ding ding ding!_' chirped an over-enthusiastic ringtone over and over again.

"Oh, that would be mine," Cilan apologized before answering his X-Transceiver's call. He recoiled from the device's screen, startled by the face across from him. "Burgundy?"

"Cilan, tell your brothers to come to the market immediately. A man's giving a speech, and I don't like what he's saying. The citizens…they're really riled up about it." Burgundy's serious face shone with worry. Her eyebrows were creased, and her lips were upside-down. "Please hurry."

"Right," Cilan nodded firmly. "We're on our way." He disconnected the call. Without a word or even a glance, the Striaton triplets sprinted for the door.

"Should we go, too?" Milo tilted his head, questioning his friends.

"I don't think that's a good-" Teresa didn't finish her reply, as Scarlett was out of the Gym's door already. Not wanting to be left out of the action, her friends followed.

"Don't be so rash, Scarlett! Let's think this through!" Teresa called out, lagging far behind Milo and Scarlett, but Scarlett didn't hear her friend's pleas. She was only focused on making it to the marketplace. She shoved through the throngs of people, ignoring their jeers and antagonizing comments. _I've got to inform Cilan, Cress and Chili before it's too late. If my instincts are right, that man making the speech could be working for the group my dad warned me about._

When she finally arrived at the heart of the market, she noticed something was off. The stalls were not hovered over by expectant customers, nor were there any attendants or salespeople assisting them. The activity was all directed to a makeshift stage standing in the middle of the road. Raised above the heads of the crowd stood a young man and woman. Both of them couldn't have been older than eighteen. The man had blonde hair that curled slightly at the ends and piercing gray eyes. He was speaking into a microphone, a smooth and persuasive voice flowing from his mouth.

The woman had blonde hair as well, and she had striking eyes that were not blue, but not quite green either. Scarlett noted that the woman's right eye was slightly darker in colour than her left.

Both of them had pointed and delicate features, leading Scarlett to believe the two of them were siblings. They could have even been twins!

But she pushed those thoughts out of the way for now while sliding to the front of the crowd. Scarlett spotted Burgundy and the triplets standing next to her at the very front of the stage. Each of the brothers had a sour expression on his face. Burgundy's arms were crossed over her chest, and her facial features were twisted in an unpleasant expression that bordered disgust.

Scarlett wondered what the man was saying that was making the four adults so angry. Having not caught the first part of the speech, she carefully listened in, hoping to understand the gist of the speech.

"… are looking for people with a special talent," the man was saying, holding a microphone in his hands to enunciate his voice, though he clearly didn't need it. "This talent is extremely rare, but is powerful when mastered. If you wish to know more about our cause, please stick around afterwards."

Scarlett carefully concealed her shock beneath an icy glare directed at the siblings standing high-and-mightily on the stage. She had been right, but she couldn't inform the Gym Leaders and Burgundy right now. Everyone would overhear her, and she'd be in huge trouble. _"Promise me you will not speak of this again ever, unless you speak with me or your mom face to face. Got it?"_ She assumes her dad meant friends as well, but she had to inform the Gym Leaders, at the very least.

Cilan frowned; deciding the perfect opportunity to speak out was now. He said authoritatively, "This is completely ridiculous." About half of the people agreed with him, and the bolder citizens began voicing their opinions out loud, their voices swirling together until it was almost incomprehensible.

"I agree with Gym Leader Cilan." A middle-aged man said, with his Munna floating beside his head.

"That's right," a young woman said, her voice quavering slightly.

The woman tapped her parasol on the wooden stage three times, and the crowd quieted down. It was as if the girl was controlling them, and Scarlett shivered in fright. But she was worried as well, for half of the crowd had not said anything, or given a single notion that they even cared about what Cilan had said.

Cress crossed his arms. "As a Striaton City Gym Leader, I will have to ask you politely to leave the premises immediately."

The man inclined his head slightly, and his companion followed his lead. Cress only frowned some more, as he felt the man was mocking him.

"As the Gym Leader Cress wishes," the man then held up a hand. "But, I will leave only after I finish the job that I came here to do."

Cress turned his nose up. "See that you do." He wanted to leave the marketplace so he wouldn't need to see the man anymore, but he had to stay, to hear what he was going on about. Chili and Cilan both placed their hands on his shoulder, showing that they supported their brother's decision to remain in the market.

Everyone who spoke up with Cilan left, not wanting to bother with the man and woman any longer. The remaining people gathered around the stage or further information. It was at this time that Milo and Teresa finally caught up with Scarlett.

"There you are. We lost you in the crowd," Teresa whispered. "So, do you know what's happening?" She gestured to the stage, and then back at the greatly diminished audience.

Scarlett shook her head, letting her friends know that it was a negative, and that she hadn't learned anything yet. "Whatever it is, the Gym Leaders and Burgundy aren't too happy about it."

She and her friends weaved through the crowd to stand beside the four adults. Cilan's eyebrows creased as he realized who was standing beside him. "You shouldn't be here," he scolded the group. "Who knows what that man is up to?"

"We can't just stay away!" Scarlett protested while twisting away from an attempt of Chili's to secure her wrist. "This concerns all Pokémon Trainers."

Milo stood firmly behind Scarlett, with Teresa next to him. "That's right!" he said, thoroughly convinced that he was doing the right thing.

Their attention was turned back to the man on the stage, who had begun speaking again. His words seemed to flow out of him mouth like honey dripping off of honeycomb, syrupy and smooth.

"As all of you already know, we are looking for people with a particular power. The power of Aura."

The remaining people began muttering amongst themselves. A man voiced what all the other people had been thinking, "What is 'Aura'?"

"Aura is a kind of energy that can be found in all living things. Pokémon, people, and even plants."

Unconsciously, Scarlett found her hands forming into tight fists. She had recently been reminded about Aura from none other than her own Dad, and he had told her that he was one of the very few that could manipulate the energy. There was no doubt at all in Scarlett's mind now, they were part of that group her dad told her about. And she believed they held high positions in the team, from the way that they spoke to their audience.

"Then, what do you plan to do with this Aura?" Burgundy spoke up for the first time. She said the words quietly, but they were powerful enough to catch the pair's attention.

"We plan to change the world entirely! In this world, there will be no pollution or conflict."

Cilan's eyes widened, unable to believe what he had just heard. He thought that anyone who had a hint of sensibility would know about the horrors that had happened whenever anyone tried to 'fix' the world. Pokémon and people both suffered at the hands of ambitious others. While they may start out with good intentions, certainly their path would turn to darkness much father in the future. Look at the after-effects Team Plasma had caused in Unova. Look at Team Galactic in Sinnoh, and Team Magma and Aqua in Hoenn. Nothing good ever came out of an attempt to 'change the world for the better'.

The man who had asked about Aura earlier scoffed. "And you think two children like you can stop all of that?"

The girl on the stage shook her head, "No, I don't think we can. But if everyone unites for the same cause, surely a great change can happen!"

That was when she couldn't take it anymore. Leaping forward despite her friends' calls for her to stay put, Scarlett took to the stage, heavy feet trampling up the stairs three at a time. When she reached the top, she dashed for the centre of the stage. Ripping the microphone off the stand, she began to speak.

"Do you really think that 'changing the world for the better' is going to work?" She spoke passionately, putting all of her emotion behind the microphone. "Look at what happened with the Team Plasma incident. The team claimed that Pokémon deserved to be free, but were the Pokémon really happier being away from the Trainers who promised to help them get stronger? The friends they had made?" She drew in a huge breath before continuing. "And in the end, Team Plasma's leader was just using the Pokémon they 'freed' for his own selfish plans. What's to say they won't be any different?"

She whipped her head back to the man and gazed at him with all of the suspicion she'd gathered in the last few minutes. He gazed right back without a trace of emotion in his face.

"Young lady, just what do you think you're getting at?" The blonde woman delicately raised an eyebrow.

"What I'm getting at is this: your plan is never going to work, and even if it should, Pokémon and people will find a way to stop you!" With those final words, Scarlett leapt off the stage just as fast as she had run on. Dodging the stares of the crowd, she pushed rather violently through the throngs of people, and continued running farther and farther from the stage that held the two figures, whose icy eyes followed her every move. Scarlett felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rise up, but she ignored the feeling and kept running.

"Hey, hold on a moment!" Milo yelled, before taking off after her.

"Scarlett, come back!" wailed a distraught Teresa, but her friend didn't hear a single word of it. All she focused on was the thumping of her footsteps on the cobblestones, and her fiercely pounding heart.

Unable to stand still after watching their friend run away, Milo and Teresa followed in pursuit, sprinting out of the crowd. Burgundy gritted her teeth lightly before turning to face the stage once more. She promised in her thoughts to go after the young teenagers soon, but not until the duo have left the premises.

After the commotion settled down, Cilan gave the speakers an icy glare. "I hope you realize that if you should be lying about the 'great change' you propose, the League will hunt you down and dispose of your team, just like they have done in the past."

A slight incline of the head was all the green-haired Gym Leader received, and once Cilan decided it was over, motioned for his brothers and Burgundy to go find the teens. With all of them in agreement, they weaved out of the crowd.

As the crowd dispersed back to their regular lives, the mysterious duo began to disassemble the stage and pack up, probably to go to another city to tell the public about their mission.

The young woman's tone was steady as she spoke to her brother, but her eyes betrayed her fury and suspicion. "Who did that little girl think she was?" She dropped a plank of wood heavily on the ground before huffing. "Some sort of authority figure?" Her lips twisted, and her eyebrows furrowed. There was no denying it now; she was incredibly agitated. "She had no right to stand up there and address the audience!"

Her brother turned to her and soothingly patted her back. "Now, now. Remember to control your temper, Lacie."

"Whatever! You can't tell me what to do!"

His sister burst into a flurry of rather impolite words, all of which the young man ignored. He merely rubbed his chin in interest. "That girl is rather spirited. She'd fit right into our ranks, once she sees _our _way of thinking."

The young woman immediately ceased her racket. "Jordan, you can't be–"

"I _am_ serious about this. I'm sure there's more to that girl than meets the eye."

Scarlett ran. She had never run harder in her entire life. She dodged the pedestrians with leaps and turns, and still she kept running. She couldn't pinpoint the truth of why she was running. Perhaps it was to run away from the watchful crowd. Maybe it was an attempt to remove the threat posed by those mysterious siblings. Or, it was to run away from the truth of what she had witnessed.

"Scarlett! Get back here!" Milo shouted, tearing at the ground with his swift movements.

Unable to keep up with her friends, Teresa collapsed to the paved road, clutching at her stomach. She opened her mouth to heave for air, before letting out a loud cry. "Where are you going?"

The girl kept running until she reached the end of the line. She climbed the stairs at a breakneck pace; stopping briefly only once she reached the top. She shoved at the doors as hard as she could, and when they burst open, she tumbled into the empty building. Slamming the doors shut behind her, she knelt on the carpeted floor and finally let her emotions run loose.

Tear after tear spilled onto the carpet, and Scarlett was powerless to stop them. Her nose involuntarily sniffed multiple times, before she let out a hacking cough. Her hands flew to her throat as she sucked in a large heaping of breath, only to begin violently coughing again.

She heard the faint sound of footsteps outside. They abruptly stopped, replaced by an insistent banging noise.

"Scarlett! Please, you have to let us in!" Burgundy's voice rang like a bell through the doors, slapping the sobbing girl in the face repeatedly. "What you did was the right thing!"

"Please don't be so rash," Teresa called out. "Let's work this out together!"

"Scarlett, they're gone now, so there's not need to get riled up about it!" Chili bashed his fist against the door once, startling everyone with his ferocity.

"Scarlett!" Milo's soul-crushing tone of voice snapped Scarlett out of her reveille. "You've gotta talk to us! Just one small chat!"

The girl slowly rose to her knees, before raising an arm to open the heavy doors. She had barely laid a hand on the door when it burst open from the other side. With a sudden leap, her friends crushed her in a group hug.

The adults also made their way into the gym, carefully going around the gigantic tangle of limbs that were Scarlett, Milo and Teresa.

"My, you had us all pretty worried there, Scarlett," Cilan remarked easily.

The girl sniffed loudly once, before rising to her feet. Teresa bit her lip in concern, and Milo stepped away from his friends, arms crossed firmly over his chest. He certainly had agreed with the passionate speech his best friend had made, and wished there was some way to alleviate the pain the duo had brought to her

"You did the right thing back there, Scarlett." Burgundy carefully patted Scarlett on the back. "Not many people would have had the guts to do that, especially with an audience who many not have shared the same opinions as all of us do." She gestured to the people who stood around them. "You're a very brave girl."

"I-I don't think that running off the stage was very brave." Scarlett's head drooped from mention of the marketplace.

"There's no need to be ashamed of yourself." Cress said in a pensive manner. "You wanted to get out of there, and there was no option other than to run out of the place."

"Yeah, and there's no use in crying over spilt Moo-Moo milk," Chili stated plain as day. His brothers glared at him for his lack of sensitivity, but he ignored both of them. "Come on now, instead of moping, you should be celebrating about getting your first Gym Badge."

"I guess you're right," Scarlett's voice was tiny, not at all filled with her usual excitement.

"You and Milo are planning on challenging the Nacrene City Gym, so it's high time you moseyed on out of here." Chili then proceeded to pushing all three of the young teenagers out of the door. "Go on, get moving!"

With a final wave, Burgundy, Cress and Chili all ventured deep into the restaurant, with the purple-haired woman declaring that she needed food after such an eventful day, and that she expected the Striaton Brothers to be courteous and allow her to have a free meal. This led to an outraged Chili demanding for her to pay her dues, no matter the circumstances.

Milo ran down the stairs, with Teresa following him much more slowly. Scarlett hesitated, still not feeling well from her tactical retreat.

"Hey," Cilan gently placed a hand on Scarlett's shoulder. "I promise that if they really are bad people, we will stop their plans." He stared into her eyes, spring green on emerald green, before he realized something very important. The girl wasn't only sad about that group's speech. Something about that group had deeply disturbed her, and he was curious as to what it was. "Is something the matter? Something bigger than that announcement they made just a few minutes ago?"

Scarlett wanted very much to tell him what the true matter was, but now that she had the chance, something held her back. Whether it was intuition, hesitation, or following orders, she knew that now wasn't a good time to spill. So she kept her mouth shut and shook her head, as she didn't have a good reply.

Cilan backed away from the girl with an inquiring stare, though he didn't ask anything else. "If you ever need any help, know that you can call me. I know what your dad has been through at times."

Scarlett nodded once before wiping her eyes on her arm. "I know." In her mind, she knew that if she had any trouble, she wouldn't call Cilan, or any of her dad's friends for back up. This was a secret in the family, and she wasn't about to betray it easily, without good reason.

"Scarlett, it's time to go!" Milo called over his shoulder. "Come on! Nacrene City and that Gym Leader-in-Training are waiting for us!"

"I wish you the best of luck," Cilan turned to open the doors of the Gym, but he stopped for a moment before his palm rested on the door. "And all three of you should stay as safe as you can." With those final words, he pushed the doors open and vanished into the building.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And we finally meet a few of the big bads. On one hand, a calm and charismatic young man. On the other, a vivacious and sassy young woman. <strong>

**_Notes/Questions to Consider:  
><em>****_1. Though Scarlett is often at odds with Serena, in this chapter she protected her mother at least twice.  
>2. Now, a fairly obvious (but perhaps not so much when closely looked at) question: Are the mysterious duo really bent on changing the world for the better? Do they have an ulterior motive, a different agenda? Or is this their honest belief?<em>**

**And of course, please review if you like it, or have an idea you want me incorporate, or if you have constructive criticism!**

**Stay tuned!**  
><strong>Sweetie147<strong>


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